![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hugger-Woman.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s the way I roll, too! I am a hugger by nature. I can\u2019t help myself. I get introduced to someone and as they reach out to shake hands, I reach out my arms and declare: \u201cI\u2019m a hugger!\u201d I can\u2019t think of any time I\u2019ve been refused that return hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know that hugs boost feel-good hormones. Maybe, I\u2019m not quite as open to a stranger that is holding up a sign that says, \u201cFREE HUGS.” But I think I have a built-in sensor that tells me, \u201cThat person needs a hug, at least a kind-word hug.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why I embrace my Greeter\/Usher position at my church. By now, if people have come my way very often, they\u2019ll do the reaching out and give me a hug. I love that. Give and it shall be given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hugger-Larry-Alexia-822x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever spontaneously hugged someone when their despair and distress was so intense that it seemed cruel not to reach out to them? We hoped that they might derive some relief or comfort from an embrace. When I was the hugger, it was those times that the huggee hugged me back for dear life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe hugging isn’t your bent, so in case you are about to end reading this blog, let me share a few options. There is the Side hug (hugging around the waist), the Bear hug (the full-on hug) and there is the hug that isn’t the draw-them-in-for-a-hug kind but is a “hug” with words of a smile, encouragement, and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Hugger-Two-People-1024x742.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am campaigning for huggers. Period. The most important role we can play in this world is to let people know that we love them with God\u2019s love. I am sincerely into the \u201cGod kind-of-love-hugs\u201d or even a simple pat on the back with purposeful intention that brings God\u2019s love into the equation. It is literally a heart-to-heart experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is worth being a risk taker to give a hug today. It just may brighten someone’s world and help them feel loved and worthwhile \u2013 and if not for them \u2013 it\u2019s worth it for us to give \u201cFREE HUGS\u201d because we need that hug ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The heart of compassion, the warmth of a touch, the closeness of a hug is what this hurting world needs. May we be those who are intentional, like that little girl, to be God\u2019s huggers! We are chips off the ole’ block — and our BLOCK gave to us BIG TIME. Huggers, let\u2019s unite! Let\u2019s be purpose-filled givers of God’s love!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo everything in love.\u201d 1 Corinthians 16:14<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If anything bothered me during the Covid pandemic, it was that we couldn\u2019t reach out and touch someone, which for me, a hugger, is heartrending. Even handshakes were unacceptable. Though we still respect where someone may be regarding close contact, I am still campaigning for us to be huggers and if not in the usual…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27520,27521],"tags":[1210,1769,485,4030,2081,1043,27519,14167,23938,12789,12324,27518,40,27517,3542],"class_list":["post-18494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-embrace","category-gods-love-hugs","tag-blog","tag-christian","tag-comfort","tag-embrace","tag-free-hugs","tag-give-and-it-shall-be-given","tag-god-kind-of-love-hugs","tag-gods-love-3","tag-heart-of-compassion","tag-hug","tag-hugger","tag-hugger-by-nature","tag-inspiration","tag-producer-of-smiles","tag-relief"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18494"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18504,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18494\/revisions\/18504"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}