God's Loving "not only" hands but arms!!!!!

Tonight was Easter vigil high mass at church tonight. As I sat up in the choir loft watching the new baptized members of our church receive confirmation God hit me square between the eyes. As they stood up in front of the congregation in front of the altar Fr. Bob goes to each one and as he dips his finger in oil and does the sign of the cross on their foreheads he says their name and says "I confirm you.... then he puts his hand on the side of their shoulder, looks them in the eyes and says, "peace be with you". As I watched this ceremony unfold I experienced a tremendous feeling of comfort passed on to them as if Jesus stepped in, picked them up and held them in his arms in the most gentle, loving, comforting way. The definition of the word "safe" cannot be matched or described any other way. It was almost breathtaking for me. It reminded me of when I was new in the Lord and I would watch people as they returned from receiving the body and blood of Christ. I use to feel guilty as if I should close my eyes and pray instead but what I experienced was so overwhelming that I couldn't help myself as if Jesus wanted to bless me in that way. I could almost see and feel the great presence of His love for them - sins and all. They would shine with His love for them and yet be so individual in every way as they came back to their seats with all their fears, happiness, insecurities, beliefs, lifestyles, where they lived, how they dressed, what they did for a living and yet His love for them was the same for each. You could almost see how He accepted them dirty or clean, happy or sad, joyfilled or angry. His love shown through to each of them. Maybe that is what heaven is about to a small degree. We are limited here on earth and the full extent of His great and powerful Love is revealed after we die and go to heaven. I hope so. The small amount of His glory that I get to see is "so little compared to the glory that is yet to be revealed" (paraphrase), Romans 8:18