Touch

Touch. It is how we connect physically with someone else. It may be a
handshake of two people meeting for the first time. It may be an intense embrace
between a husband and wife. Or, it may take the form of hugs between family
members or close friends. Whether it is a form of greeting or an expression of
love or affection, it is a physical reaching out to make contact with another
person.

A long time ago when I was in college, one of my psychology professors said
that babies who, for whatever reason, were not touched became listless and
did not interact with their surroundings and the people who were nearby. I
remember he said that he knew of cases where babies were left untouched for
two years except for feeding and changing and a few even died.

We live in a physical world. People who are deaf and blind use touch as their
means to communicate with the people in their lives. Certainly one of the
most famous was Helen Keller. When she was 19 months old she contracted
an unknown illness that left her blind and deaf. She was eventually taught to
speak by Anne Sullivan and went on to become a world renowned public
speaker and author. Anne Sullivan started out by spelling words in the palm of
Helen’s hand. Teaching and learning by touch.

Touch. One of the criticisms that non-believers have about God is how can we
love someone we cannot see, cannot touch. Those of us who do believe
know that God does touch us. Not in the physical way but in our heart and
soul. We are told, in turn, to love him with our whole heart, whole mind, whole
soul and whole strength. And God loves us at a level far beyond our ability to
comprehend. He is the Infinite and his love for us knows no limit. It is his gift
to us, the “us” he created in his own image. His touch is on our hearts and
souls and this is how we can feel him and know him. Even those who turn
away from him or deny him are touched by him and loved by him.

How about you? Have you touched God? You can’t do it physically, of
course, but you can with your belief, your prayers, your words and actions that
follow his wishes. Has God touched you? Yes, of course he has by
answering your prayers, by the little things that come into your life that are
good and unexpected. To touch is to love and your touch and God’s touch are
the real love connection.