5 Minute Fridays: Comfort

Jen Bradbury
May 14 · 5 min read

Today I'm linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker's 5 Minute Friday, in which we write for 5 minutes flat.

She sat across the table from me, fingers tapping wildly on the tabletop at a rate of a mile a minute.

Seconds later, this girl, normally so full of words, stopped talking. I watched as her hair fell over her face, providing her with a protective veil of sorts.

Moments later, I saw that tears had welled in her eyes and begun to flow in earnest, steadily streaming down her face, when she reached up to brush both her hair and tears from her face.

Wordlessly, I reached across the table and gently laid my hand on top of hers, offering her the only comfort I could in that moment: Touch.

In that moment, I saw this girl's entire posture change and relax as her tears began to subside all because of touch and the way in which this simple, earnest gesture connected her with someone who cared.

Touch – it's one of the simplest and most powerful gifts we give one another. I know because in those moments when life seems unbearably difficult, what I long for most is the sacredness of someone's touch: The gift of a hug or my husband's hand clasped in mine, providing me with strength and love.

It's in these moments when I think I understand Jesus' choice to so often heal people with not just words, but the touch of his hand.