Don't Bug Me, Hug Me

Hey Gang, I need some help with this Morning Message.  I have wracked my brain for days trying to come up with a Scripture that fits this ‘Hugging Judge’ message and have drawn nothing but a blank.  Soooo, give me a hand, send me one that fits that is tucked away in your computer hard drives.   

In the past several days, I have been sharing people who have impacted my life in one way or another..  But, I pray, you have also looked beneath the surface of the messages and seen how the people involved also impacted the lives of larger numbers of people by being encouragers. 

This morning I want to share the message of a very unique person.  I say unique because in my years of working with dysfunctional children and families I have had the opportunity to meet many judges but can say I have never meet a ‘hugging judge’.  A few along the way kind of reminded me of Judge Bean of earlier days who had the reputation of being a ‘hanging judge’.

But Judge Lee Shapiro was a very unique person, he was known as ‘the Hugging Judge’.   Years ago he developed what he calls his "Hugging Kit".   On the outside it reads "A heart for a hug." ; the inside contains thirty little red embroidered hearts with stickum on the back.  Lee takes his ‘Hugger Kit’, He goes around to people and offers them a little red heart in exchange for a hug.

Once, Judge Shapiro after speaking at a conference, was challenged by a conferee that hugging was okay for the conference center but in no way would work in the real world.  The gauntlet was thrown down:  "Prove it here on the Streets of San Francisco".  And so the test began.  First he met a woman on the street.  “Hi, I am Lee Shapiro, the ‘hugging judge’.   I'm giving out these hearts in exchange for a hug."  Her reply, "Sure, let's go for it!" 

But the critic said, "Oh, that's too easy".  He saw a meter maid who was having a hard time with a BMW owner for whom  she was writing out a ticket.  Try it with her, said the critic.  With camera crew in tow,. he marched up to her and said, "Hi,  I'm Judge Shapiro, the ‘hugging judge’ and you look like you could use a hug.”  She threw open her arms and readily accepted his warmness. On their tour he approached a policemen and bus driver, both known for their salty attitudes, and each case the hug was readily accepted.

But the final test came when Lee's friend, Nancy, a professional clown, showed up at his doorstep and said, "Lee, grab a bunch of your Hugger Kits and let's go out to the home for the disabled".   After several hours they entered the last ward.  These were 34 of the worst cases Lee had seen in his life.  After working his way through the first 33 beds he came to Leonard's bed.  Leonard had been in that bed for 23 years.  He was wearing a big white bib which was covered with his drooling but Judge Lee did not hesitate, he reached down and gave Leonard a very special hug.

As they were leaving the hospital Leonard began to squeal, Eeeeehh!  Eeeeeeehh! And some of the other patients in the room joined in clanging things together.  Lee turned to the head nurse and asked, "What is going on?"  She replied, "This is the first time in 23 years we've seen Leonard smile." 

Sooooo, my friends and neighbors, do you have a ‘Hugging Kit’?  Judge Shapiro is known to his friends and neighbors as the most genuinely loving person in the world.  Very early in his career he came to the realization that love is the greatest power there is.  In my early years I shied away from the huggers but have since learned that Judge Shapiro is right - hugging can the change element in a relationship.  I believe Jesus was a ‘hugger’.  Try it today- and expect a miracle of warmth to prevail!

Blessings, 

Gramps