We are God's "Skin"

My spiritual director shared this story with me:

A little girl woke up with a bad dream. Her mother attempted to comfort her by reminding her that there was nothing to be afraid of because God was with her. The young girl replied, "Oh, I know God is with me, but I need someone with some skin!"

This is true for all of us, isn't it? We know God is there, but we also need the signs of God's love that come from other human beings. We, too, need someone with "skin" to offer encouragement, to give us a hug, to physically help us when we are struggling, to hold the door open, to help us carry a burden (both literally and figuratively.) By the same token, we need to be a sign of God's love for those we encounter on a daily basis. We need to be the one offering our help and support and our concern.

A Church I pass on a regular basis has the words "I have no body now but yours" written on the outside. How true that is! We need to remember that we are God's "skin" in the world.