Due to COVID-19, we are asked to stay away from others in order to show care for them. Normally, loving people means drawing near to them. The social isolation is not fun for any of us, but it’s especially difficult for those who are most vulnerable to becoming sick. What a frustrating season! Some elderly care facilities have offered a type of reprieve by creating special visiting windows, drive-by parades, and even hugging booths.

At one senior-living center in Corpus Christi, Texas, family members were invited to wear special sleeves and to reach through a plastic barrier to hug their loved ones. A plastic hug might seem too sanitary to be meaningful, but numerous residents raved about the hugging booth!

Healing touch

After visiting her elderly mother, Kim Buchanan described the booth as, “amazing.” “It was something you didn’t want to let go. You just want to keep holding her,” said Buchanan. After so much time has passed, you can just imagine how lonely it must have felt for those at the senior home. A resident named Judi exclaims, “I can’t describe it. It has been so long. Usually we are a huggy, huggy family. So not being able to do it [hug] for five or six months, it has been hard.”

Hugs needed

Hugging can provide contentment while reducing anxiety and stress. Additionally, there’s research that indicates, “hugging releases hormones that are immuno-regulatory and have a deep impact on the health of our immune systems. Hugging also releases dopamine, another wonderful chemical that can help stave off depression… .” 

We must get creative and find ways to stay connected as God created us to be. Seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit is a good first step. Then, we need to put our heads together and find a way to bring about something good.

Question of the day: How can you bring healing to your community in creative ways?
Focal scriptures: Luke 5:12-16; Daniel 10:7-19; Mark 5:24-34

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For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.