I took off my shoes and stepped into the orphanage. Small little black heads surrounded me and tiny faces looked eagerly toward me. Arms reached out and each child begged to be picked up. The Korean babies home in 1972 held one hundred babies up to the age of five. At six, the children were shipped off to live where they could attend school.
For several months I slept in a room above the children and spent hours with them. All the babies slept on the floor. Some developed boils on their backs from not being turned over. Others were touched only when a diaper was changed or bottle put into their mouth. Two of the smallest babies were unusually quiet and no one picked the up because they never screamed for attention.
One day measles came to the babies home. A few days later, I entered the room and the two quiet ones were missing. I asked where they had gone. They had died. I was told that when sickness comes, the ones who have had the least affection die first. Touching and holding are vital to a baby’s survival.
Touch is important to all of us. Remember to touch someone on the shoulder or give them a hug. Let your children feel the warmth of a touch. Jesus knew it was essential, often he touched someone. It is an important way to show love.