Hug Someone Today

It's amazing how God can use people and situations to keep things in perspective. Wednesday I was complaining because I walked around Target intending to spend money but couldn't find anything I needed. Then yesterday morning I got an email from a friend that reminded me how blessed I am to have the ability to decide to just go buy something on a whim, and that there are much more important things in my life than trip to Target anyway. Although Target does rank pretty high, keep in mind :)

My friend emailed me about a person she knows who doesn't even feel loved by the one person God created to love us unconditionally: his mother. He was abandoned at birth, and I can't even fathom! I think we are all built to want to please and impress our parents, and I was so fortunate to have 2 loving and encouraging parents who always supported me. So for me, pleasing my parents was a breeze. But how must it feel to want to please someone who doesn't even want you? My heart breaks for this sweet child of God when I think about what has been stolen from him. Never in my life did I think that it was a privilege to have good parents; I thought it was our right as human beings.

So I was completely put in my place as I quickly realized how big of a brat I was being for not finding anything to spend my money on in Target. I looked in the baby section but didn't get anything because William has been SHOWERED with gifts and needs nothing. I looked in the clothing section and didn't get anything because I was just fortunate enough to get new clothes on mother's day. I looked in the kitchen section and didn't get anything because our kitchen is overly-well stocked with a multitude of gadgets (in some cases multiple gadgets to do one job!). Had I been in a better mood, sure I could have found something. There's always SOMETHING at Target. But we need nothing, and I overlooked how much of a blessing that truly is. Beyond needing nothing to stockpile in our house, we are rich beyond measure with love which, sadly, isn't the case for everyone.

So go hug someone today. Hug your babies, hug your mommies, hug your cats or hug your dogs. Hug someone and shower them with all the love you have. It is not only their privilege to have your love, but it is your privilege to be able to spoil them rotten with it. Don't take that for granted for one second!

And after you've given out all the love you can, THEN go to Target and spoil yourself a little too :)