Before Buddy the Elf was a twinkle in anyone’s imagination, there was Laurie. (If you haven’t seen Elf, add it to your Christmas movie list! And trust me when I tell you, hugs are his favorite.)

Laurie and I worked at the same retirement community ages ago. Among other responsibilities, Laurie was in charge of coordinating move-ins and helping people get situated in their new homes. But what I recall most about Laurie is that she owned Hug Day. Every Wednesday, she’d offer residents a cheery “Happy Hug Day!” and give them a friendly squeeze. To my knowledge, Hug Day wasn’t an official activity, just a weekly kindness Laurie took seriously.

Looking back, I wonder how many of Laurie’s “hug-ees” might have needed a hug. Who in her path could’ve been feeling blue, missing their loved one’s touch, or just longing to be seen and held?

Laurie and I haven’t seen each other in 25 years, but often she comes to mind when I’m with my friend Darla. Darla’s superpower is hugging. She has this keen insight into knowing who around her needs a hug, and she offers them freely and without reservation. If hugging were an Olympic sport, she’d win gold. When you’re on the receiving end of a Darla hug, you feel better instantly. It’s like a shot of vitamin B without the sting. Are you getting the picture? (If you’ve ever had the chance to meet (in)courage contributor, Anna Rendell, you know that hugging is one of her superpowers, too.)

This year at Community Bible Study, Darla is my core group leader. It’s a treat for us to get to be together on a weekly basis, mining God’s Word and talking through the deep things of faith with a room full of sisters growing closer to Jesus, together.

When I walked into our small group last week, I knew I was on edge. I had received some hard news the night before, and my heart was fragile. I thought I could slap a smile on my face and get through group time without anyone knowing. But when a friend seated across the room asked me a simple question, I cracked. Tears surfaced as I shook my head and answered, “I’m okay…I just can’t talk about it right now.”

She nodded in understanding. In the way women get women, everyone who saw our exchange felt my pain. Including Darla.

Up Darla stood, softly declaring, “I’m about to make this worse.” I knew what was coming as she eased over to where I was sitting and wrapped her arms around me. Pausing to let the room settle, she held me tight and prayed to the God who knows my hurt, having no need to know herself.

Nothing changed in my circumstances, but instantly I felt better. Her words and embrace were the perfect thing at the perfect time.

I thought about it later, how her small gesture yielded immediate results. I’m convinced a simple hug can be a powerful expression of God’s love. And the immediate gift of prayer is God’s presence. Receiving God’s love and coming into His presence brings supernatural peace. No wonder I felt better.

Jesus modeled this same kind of compassion throughout His ministry. He saw people, really saw them, and met them where they were. While others withdrew from those considered untouchable, Jesus moved toward them. He touched lepers (Mark 1:40–42), took children in His arms (Mark 10:13–16), and laid His hands on the weary and broken. His touch was a connection that restored dignity, offered healing, and reminded people they were loved and never beyond His reach. And, after His resurrection, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so we could go and do likewise.

When Darla wrapped her arms around me and prayed, she became Jesus with skin on to me. Her hug was more than human comfort; it was divine compassion clothed in friendship.

Sometimes we underestimate the quiet, ordinary ways God shows up — through a hug, a kind word, and shared prayer. Yet those are often the very moments when His presence feels most real.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (ESV) we read, “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Through our own experience with heartache, we are developing insight, empathy, and compassion that can serve others. Isn’t that a stunning redemption of life’s pain or difficulties?

Living out our faith is often as simple as yielding to those Spirit-led promptings to remind others they are seen, loved, and not alone. Since we have “been there” ourselves, we have the benefit of seeing how God ministered to and brought us through the trial.

When I think back to Laurie and her Hug Day mission, or to Darla’s prayer-wrapped hug, I see two women living this truth. Both reflected God’s heart in ways that lingered long after the moment passed.

If you’ve received a healing hug, you already know that sometimes love doesn’t need words. And if someone was bold enough to pray for you, too? That’s icing and cherries and sprinkles on top.

Is someone around you hurting? Risk an awkward moment to offer a hug. Go a step further and pray. I think it’s what Jesus would do.

Leave a Comment