Hug…omaniacs – 8 Steps

A hug is such a strange thing. We feel all weird when we see someone heading towards us with those arms out stretched. Sometimes we bob and weave to avoid it. Sometimes we turn and shoulder the hugger so we can minimize the impact. The strange thing is that people enjoy hugs and I think I have worked out why.

A hug expresses a huge amount to those being hugged. It expresses love, concern, and care. It’s a great way of saying; "Don’t worry". It says "I’m here". It says, "All will be ok!". It says, "You are forgiven". It says, "You are important and special". It says that I have seen you, you are noticed. It says it’s ok to cry. It says a big bold hello and is a far bigger hello than a handshake. It says we are together in this.

Whatever the reason for a hug they always seem good. Afterwards we feel good. We feel like a million dollars. You feel like you had a really good cup of coffee. Yet for some reason we don’t see many people hugging. It’s like hugs are reserved for special occasions or for when the family is around. Without hugs we send a message of…. Well none of the above. There is just nothing. I think the world would be a better place if people got more hugs. There are people out there who are hug…less. It’s sad but true. Imagine a life without a hug. Imagine having a childhood without hugs.

I propose we change the world through hugs!

I propose that everyone deserves a hug!

So here is the big hug challenge. If you are not up to it. Well you better stop reading now. This is going to blow your mind and make you a professional Hug…omaniac.

Step 1 Start small. Hug your pillow, dog and cat. Something to practice on. If you survive without being bitten or scratched go to step 2. If not….still go to step 2.

Step 2 Clean up. Pointless being a hugger if you stink, have bad breath, sweat a lot or are generally repulsive. Have a shower and a shave and get ready for the big time. Now for step 3.

Step 3 Time for humans. Try someone close. A family member, husband, wife, children, mother-in-law.

Step 4 Your family is not getting enough hugs, repeat step 3 a few times. Especially for the children. Don’t take no from teenagers. Give them a hug even if they grunt in offense.

Step 5 Time to try a few people who are a bit more unknown. Keep hugging the family but now extend your hugging to those who are not family. Invite some friends for a braai and then hug them. Maybe when you are next at church. Hug them. Heck if you know their name give them a hug. Why? Well, why the not!

Step 6 By now you think you are a pro hugger but the bad news is you still have a way to go before you get really good at this thing called hugging. Now you need to hug a stranger. Yip, that’s what I said, a stranger. Hug someone who you have met for the first time. Give them a big ‘ol squeeze. I bet they will enjoy it and even if they don’t, so what. They deserve it anyway. Give them another hug for good measure. Try the cashier at the store. Try the person getting in a car next to you. Strangers are just friends you have not met yet. So it’s time you met them with a big hug.

Step 7 There will be a bunch of people you won’t have hugged up to now. Let’s call them the unhuggables. They will be people that for some reason you feel they should not get your hug. Well todays your day to deal with that. Maybe it’s someone who made you Angry. Maybe they did something to you. Maybe they are a different race, religion, culture, age, attitude, dress, gender. Maybe they're Boss or someone you feel is too below you. Whatever the reason it’s time you got over it. Give them a hug. Give the car guard a hug. Hug a beggar. Hug a policeman. Hug the petrol attendant. Hug someone from a different political party. Hug your teacher. Hug the person who you have been avoiding.

Step 8 Now repeat it all over and over until it’s the way you are. Be the best hugger. See if you can hug more than 10 people a day. Set yourself goals. Hug 20 a day. Heck, Hug a 100 people in a day. I dare you!

If you have made it through this you have done well. You have said goodbye to your issues with people and have said hello to a life of a hug..omaniac.

Cheers

Happy hugging

Talking to Demons

I was up in the hills of the Drakensberg enjoying another Christian youth camp. I had enjoyed them all and seen many young people meet Jesus. This particular camp had been stranger than most. We had spent significantly more time in prayer and looking to God. We had seen more young people showing more interest in being closer to God. We had quiet times and the camp and had allowed the young people to go off and pray and come back with what God had been telling them. More than before God had spoken. He had met the thirteen year olds and touched their lives. He had spoken directly with them in ways that had blown my mind. God had shown that he was real and that he was alive and well and wanting to be a friend of those who wanted. God had spoken because the faith of a young person is strong and alive. God honours that faith and touched lives.

That night the leadership were all relaxing and having discussion about God, the camp and how things were going. We were amazed at what had happened and prayed and thanked God. Things were disrupted however by a young man, one of the leaders of the camp. The young man jumped up and began to speak foul language. Cursing everyone and in a voice that was not his own. Before we could understand what was happening he had run out the building towards the river screaming that he was going to drown the man. It had very clearly dawned on us that we were experiencing a demon manifesting. Most of us had heard the stories, read the book, watched some movies. This however was very different. This was real and in our faces. We ran after the guy to help him. We saw him dive in the cold waters of the Drakensberg to drown himself.

A few of us dived in and with great effort managed to rescue him from under the water. We dragged him up to the building in a stupor and sat him down with towels to dry him. He seemed normal. We began to pray for him and then he changed. He became the demon again. His voice was different, His language was different, and his actions were different. He threatened us and taunted us. The demon was in control of him and we were out of our depth. We prayed harder, we called on Jesus and we rebuked the demon. Nothing worked. The demon said he had the right to stay. We knew no different. We were young and impressionable. We eventually got to talk to the man. He confessed that not only had he been molested as a child but he had also molested children himself at a school. He was unrepentant and did not want to let go. We knew why the demon remained and was in control.

The next day the camp was over and the young man left. I have never seen him since. I still wonder who is in control of his life? Had he dealt with his past? Had he laid it all before Jesus or was he holding back? That experience woke me up. I realised that demons are real. That the fight we have is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. (eph 6) I also realised that if demons exist and are real I needed to be very sure about my relationship with Jesus. we needed to lay everything before him so that he would be in control our our lives. Have you truly laid it all before Jesus or are you holding something back? Jesus wants your all and not just the pieces you think are nice. He wants you warts and all. Thats what repentane is about. Lay it before him, all of it, and let him turn you into what he wants you to be.

cheers

Greg

New Year Giveaway Surprise

It was New Year and I was Grumpy. My dad had dragged me out to some remote area. It sucked. I had far better thing to do. I had friends to see, parties to go to. I had my whole life ahead of me. Why would he drag me into such obscure locations? I guess it was where his heart was at. He had been a Christian for many years and always wanted to help others, but why on New Year’s. There was so much more to do. He had woken me at the crack of dawn to make sandwiches. He had bought bread for a small army and jars of jams of various flavours. We were going to make the usual one I had for school. The one that sat in my bad and got soggy from the heat and I eventually threw it away. I did not know how people would eat them. I had suffered under the oppression of jam sandwiches for years. It was terrible. We had slaved for two hours making sandwiches. The entire time I had bugged my dad and begged and pleaded to get out of it. My hands were a bit stiff from all the spreading of jams. I think I had even mixed some of it up. Someone was in for a strawberry apricot surprise all mixed in one.

The road to where we were going was rough. It had many pot holes in the gravel and needed careful navigation. My dad’s four by four made easy work of it. I wondered how these people moved around. The view on the drive was terrible. All I saw was tin shacks, dirt, garbage and dirty people. I was not enjoying it at all. When we got to our destination I was surrounded by screaming children with dirty faces. I was sure they were trying to steal my mobile or wallet. I went back to the car and locked them in the cubbyhole. My dad was in his element. He greeted everyone with a smile. I was sure he hugged all the old people and there were a lot of them although they were outnumbered by the children ten to one. Where were the children’s parents? It was a Sunday. There was no way they were at work. Everything had been closed down for New Year’s.  

We pulled out the food and started handing it out. I was surprised at the response. It was as if they had not eaten for days. The children were well behaved and came one by one. They thanked me every time. I noticed one or two who snuck back in queue for seconds and I ignored the offense. They were just as polite the second time round. We stayed a few hours and played some soccer. My dad chatted to the older people and prayed for a few of them.

When we left my dad explained that the food we had brought was the first meal they had for that day. He also explained that the children had no parents. Their parents had died of aids and now the grannies looked after the children. Most of the children were not even related to them. They children had just needed a home when the parents had passed on.

On my way home all I saw was friendly people, soccer fields, family and people trying to survive. I was glad I have spent my new year doing this. I asked my dad if I could go with him next time to see my friends.

This year we should spare a though for the less fortunate amongst us. In South Africa we have many orphans who go to school on empty stomachs. We have many grannies that look after large families and have only pension payouts to feed them and ten children. Maybe take a break this year for a few hours and go and help out the less fortunate. Go and make some new friends and help them out where they are at. Be the salt and light in the world in a way that people cannot mistake it.

 Cheers

Greg