The last, but certainly not the least love language, is Physical Touch. Here is where things might get a little misinterpreted by one spouse or the other. This Physical Touch is often confused with only sexual intimacy, but there are so many other ways to display this love language. As I have confessed before, I love it when my husband holds my hand as we walk about, just living life. Dr Chapman reminds us that “of the five senses, touching, unlike the other four, is not limited to one localized area of the body.” (p109) Since the skin is our largest organ, there are nerve endings all over us that respond to touch. A sweet caress of the cheek, placing your hand on the small of her back as you are standing around, even scratching his back as you watch TV together, is filling up the love tank of someone with this love language.
But let’s talk about making love, Dr Chapman says, “the male’s desire for sexual intercourse has a physical root.” Yet, “For the female, sexual desire is far more influenced by her emotions.” (p125) Because of this, many men misinterpret their physical desire to have sex as an emotional need, but again, it is primarily physical. Yet one of the wonders of marital sex is that both spouses can be very emotionally attached and fulfilled after coming together in this lovely way. Men can often be more open to speak about feelings, dreams, or more sensitive subjects, now that they feel the connection with their wife more grounded than before.
In the end, sex is a God-designed, loving activity that should be shared among a husband and wife, and God means it to unite the married couple, not only physically, but in every way. This can be where the physical act of “becoming one” ripples out to every part of who the couple is, each as individuals, as well as both together. Body, soul and spirit, Physical Touch has a way of truly making the two, one.
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The Bible
February: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
<>< Peace, Diane
