A hug is a simple gesture. It takes almost no effort or energy to wrap your arms around another human being. But such a simple gesture communicates volumes.
Over the last few weeks, my team has decided to go and pray with the kids at the orphanage every night before we go to sleep. It’s a simple time of gathering together, holding hands, and praying to God to thank him for the day and for a restful night sleep. But the part that truly means the most is the hugs after the prayer.
As soon as we are done praying there is a frenzy of activity as each person walks around hugging one another. Each hug accompanied by a choir of “good night’s” and “see you tommorrow’s.” The littlest ones running head first into legs determined to collect all the hugs that they can. It’s a time of simple acts and profound joys.
The kids here at the orphanage are resilient, beautiful, and well-mannered. They take care of each other as a family; everyone looking out for each other. However, there are not many adults to take care of the kids. There is one woman who looks after the smallest kids, but there are no other adults who live with the kids full time. Vandy, our host, is in charge of the kids, but he is so busy with all the responsibilities of running the orphanage. There are also 3 Americans here who love the kids and look after them the best they can, but they don’t live at the orphanage with the kids.
These kids long to know that they are loved and seen. They long to know that they have value to adults around them. For those 5 seconds every night, we communicate the depth of our love and care for the kids. A hug is our way of saying, “yes, I see you. You are worthy of the affection I am giving you. You have someone on your side.” It’s only a hug, but it communicates volumes, especially when we don’t have language to share our feelings.
Joy, love, and excitement always surround those times. We have to physically pull ourselves away or else we could stand there and hug kids all night long. And, it’s not just the little kids who long to be hugged, there are teenage boys who walk around and hug each one of us each night. The need for love and to be seen is universal.
I will continue to hug these kids, to whisper promises of hope over them. I will spend all the time I need for them to know that they are loved and seen. I will speak volumes through simple gestures.
