Have you ever heard of the term ‘God-hug’? It goes by other names as well, I believe, but that’s the one I know it by. For those of you who haven’t heard of it before, here’s my basic definition: A God-hug is something that 1) gives you joy or happiness, 2) isn’t normally viewed as a supernatural occurrence, and 3) you see as coming from the Lord. 

Now, the first point probably makes some sense, but why do I say that they aren’t supernatural occurrences? Because then I would be talking about miracles. And while those absolutely come from God, most of the time He won’t show Himself that way. Yes, you might experience a miracle, and God is absolutely present in that, but those are not the only times He’s going to reveal Himself to you. Ninety percent of the time, He’s going to show up in little ways in your life: the things that usually wouldn’t be referred to as supernatural. A rainbow, a beautiful day, seeing your favorite bird outside of your window. Pretty ordinary occurrences, but you see it as something that God put into your path to remind you of something. Maybe that’s His Presence, His love, His protection…anything you view it as, He puts it there for you, to let you know He’s still there, loving you through everything. 

There are a few important things to remember when it comes to God-hugs, however. First, God-hugs aren’t the only times God is present in your life. He’s present constantly, all the time. God-hugs don’t create His Presence, they’re simply reminders. And second, bad things are going to happen. That’s a given. You might get into a fight, you might make a mistake. That doesn’t mean that God’s not there, and it doesn’t mean He’s mad at you. This world is broken–bad things will happen. And sometimes God does use our sufferings to help us. Try to remember that when something bad happens–don’t let your mind take the spiral of ‘what if I did something wrong? Maybe God’s mad at me’. He’s not angry, and the only punishments you’ll ever get from Him are out of His deep, unstoppable love. 

So, what are some God-hugs you can see in your life? What things make you happy, and how can you see God’s Presence in them? Trust in His Presence, trust in His love, and never stop looking for the ways He shows those things to you in your everyday life.