Touch is Powerful Thing

The last week has been full of adjustment.  We have returned to our routine of dash out the door in the morning, make sure clothes are laid out, lunches are prepped, and bags are packed the evening before.  I am falling into the rhythm of lesson planning and grading papers, and using every second of my lunch and prep time to the best of my ability so I can walk out of school by the 4:15 I have promised myself daily.  You see, my couch is calling me… not so I can collapse there with exhaustion (though I totally could!!) but because it is where both boys fit in my lap for our afternoon/evening snuggles.  There is nothing like the feeling of a lap full of wiggly hugs.  A full lap is the outward sign of a full heart.

  I will admit, I have been feeling the stress of it all as we adjust.  My shoulders and neck ache at night from the tension I often don’t even realize I am carrying… but when I get home and my lap is full I feel it all melt away.  There is peace in those snuggles, there is comfort in those snuggles, the stress of the day releases, and my heart is happy.  While I can see their cute faces on my desk each time I pass by it, there is nothing like the power of touch, the comfort of having them in my arms.

Over the years there have been studies and research about the power of touch- it really is a precious element of our five senses.  Touch can release the “feel good” chemical oxytocin making us calm down, relieving stress, and often putting us in a better mood.  Touch is a sense that is incredibly important for the development of infants as they rely on touch to help them feel safe and secure. 

The hug from my mom as she left my house the day before I returned to school reminded me that she had been there and knew exactly what I was feeling.  The squeeze of (A)’s hand as we sat in the car reminded me that he believed in me.  The kiss on my cheek (and insistence that I REALLY needed to wear a tiara to school) were (a)’s reminders to me that I am his “mommy-princess.”  The power of touch is strong.

We see Old Testament characters die over touching something that was forbidden, and New Testament lives healed and changed forever with one touch from Jesus.  Touch is a powerful thing.  And while I can’t physically reach out and touch the robe of Jesus, I know that from time to time he has sent the touch of others to help remind me of just how much He loves me.

So when exhaustion has the best of him and (a) asks to snuggle I will stop what I am doing, because touch is a powerful thing.  When (b) cries while I’m eating dinner, I will eat one handed so I can hold him, touch is a powerful thing.  I will hold (A)’s hand in the car as a reminder that we are on this adventure together, touch is a powerful thing.  I will pat my students on the shoulder in encouragement as a I walk by during their math test, touch is a powerful thing.  I will hug the friend at church who needs it, touch is a powerful thing.  And I will daily thank God for the healing gift of touch- it really is a powerful thing.

“She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Matthew 9:21