They’re all around you.  They are hurting, discouraged, lost, or broken.  Life has not been fair to them either through circumstances, or even perhaps by their own doing.  Regardless, they still need a touch.  There is nothing like the touch of another human being.  A study was done some years ago and found that infants who were touched, held, cuddled had fewer health problems in the early years of their lives.

There are so many ways to touch someone.  I heard a street beggar once say, “Even if you don’t want to help me at least acknowledge that I exist by looking at me!”  Wow!  So you see, a simple glance, or smile can touch a person’s life whether you know them or not.  But for those you do know, you can do more.  Encourage them with a spoken word, an unexpected hug, a note they will find later that expresses your love and appreciation of them.

One of the biggest keys to touching lives is seeing them, and being mindful of them.  Sometimes they give you clues as to what they need from you.  Sometimes it’s a shot in the dark, but an effort that misses the mark is still a message that says, “I know something’s wrong, and I care.”

When you look at others, and try to touch them in some way you will many times find that your own heart is touched.  It’s a quick and easy investment in others, and it pays back in great dividends.  I hope you will follow the One who first touched you, by touching others.