What a Hug Can Mean by Craig Gehlhausen

This past week was pretty great in the Gehlhausen household. We got my youngest child, Rebecca, baptized. She finally fully joined the Catholic Church through the waters of Baptism. Like the typical baby, she pooped her pants during the sacrament and yelled when the water was poured over her head. After the sacrament we invited our family to join us for a meal at our house. Of the family members that joined us, my uncle Tony was present. I have been thinking about it during the past 24 hours and don't think I have seen my uncle Tony in at least 8 years.

He and his family live in Georgia and don't have a ton of time to come back home to visit my grandparents or the rest of us. And when they do come to visit it seems like I am always out of town, but my issues planning things in advance are not the point of this story. My uncle Tony is a hugger and hugs to say hello and hugs to say goodbye. But my uncle Tony doesn't hug like other people. He hugs you like he hasn't seen you in 8 years and holds on tightly for a long time. I didn't really know that I needed that kind of hug on Sunday until he gave it to me. I was running around my house just trying to make sure that everything was ready for our lunch, making sure everyone had something to drink, making sure that everyone was comfortable.

This past Sunday I was Martha, being anxious and worrying about many things while my uncle was just trying to be present and enjoy the moment of being with us. In the moment of receiving his hug I just had the thought that maybe this is what it would be like to receive a hug from Jesus. A hug that is so full of love and care for me that I never want to let go. A hug that is so different from other people, that it's impossible to forget the way it makes you feel. A hug that wants to impart so much joy, peace, and gratitude for you and your presence. I got a glimpse of the love of God this weekend from my uncle Tony.

I needed his hug to remind me to just slow down and to enjoy the time I had with my family. To enjoy both of my uncles presence in my house, which was the first time it has happened. To enjoy the chaos it is to host others in my house for the celebration of my daughter becoming a member of Christ’s Body.

I hope that today you get to experience that love of Christ as clearly as I got to experience it this weekend from my uncle Tony.

Craig with his wife Katie, son John, and daughters Emma and Rebecca.