I Want to Hug Jesus

I want to hug Jesus. It sounds kind of lame doesn't it? Almost feminine sounding! "I want to embrace Jesus" doesn't sound much better. Anyway, I woke up in the middle of the night wanting to hug Jesus. What was I thinking?

I think it started yesterday with a few hugs from friends. I'm leaving the country for eight days and a few people hugged me goodbye. A hug means a lot of neat things: wish you well, you matter, I love you, you're important to me, etc. A hug gives comfort, understanding, and even confidence.

Then in the middle of the night I just snuggled up with my wife. A snuggle is as good as a hug. It's funny because she travels more than I and it's not that unusual to sleep alone. Heck, sometimes I even enjoy it - spreading out all over the bed with a bunch of pillows. But this time it was me doing the leaving not the one being left behind. So, I just wanted to hug her in the middle of the night - and I did. A hug gives you comfort, understanding, and even confidence.

Next I got to thinking about hugging Jesus. I want to hug Jesus. How lucky Mary and Joseph were to hug Him on a regular basis. How lucky for the disciples to hug God in the flesh. I want to hug Jesus!

My friend Pastor Rick says, "Sometimes we need a person to show us who God is". Maybe that's what I'm feeling. I can't hug Jesus but Jesus can hug me through people.

When I get to heaven I don't know if I will be allowed to hug Jesus. I'm sure I'll be content to just fall on my knees and worship Him from a distance - but, oh how I would love to hug Jesus.

Yet, there is one better thing. What if Jesus to come up and hug me?