Arms Stretched Out
Have you ever been in a place in life where everything is going great? You’re doing what God has called you to, having fun, building relationships, and seeing lives change. Then, BAM… something changes the plan, and you wonder where it went wrong. This is where I was sitting a few weeks ago as one of my care attendants had to quit working. I need someone with me most of the day to help with my basic needs and assist me when I need to go places. Throughout the years, I have met some of the sweetest women who have provided extraordinary care. The ladies and I form close bonds, which is bittersweet when they are called on a different path.
This familiar yet daunting change floods my head with an endless list of questions and insecurities. Did I love her well while we were together? Will we stay connected? Will I find another young woman who wants to do life with me? I pray it won’t take long to find the next person, as it has taken me months, even an entire year. I threw my arms up as I parked my wheelchair in the living room, mumbling, “This again, God?” I began searching the Internet on my phone to find the answer. Some time later, in a momentary pause of exhaustion, He gently whispered to my spirit, “Daughter, reach out and touch the hem of your Savior’s cloak.”
We find this type of faith in a woman who abandoned all hope in worldly answers and desperately needed the Savior. Jesus encountered this woman with a severe health condition recorded in all three gospels. In Luke 8:43-48, we read that this woman had been bleeding for 12 years. When I was younger, I thought this condition only had health effects. But, not to diminish those medical conditions, the bleeding caused her to be labeled as unclean. Her relationships were limited to her family, her hopes and dreams of becoming a wife and mother disappeared, and life must have felt like a dead end. We see in Mark’s account that this woman spent all her money on doctors who could not heal her condition. So, this woman is sick and left with no money. What was she supposed to do next?
I don’t know what exactly she heard about Jesus, probably how He healed many, and now, she needed Him. When she saw Jesus, people were pushing their way to get to Him, making it almost impossible for her to reach Him. Not only did she believe He was the answer, but she was willing to risk all she had left to get to Hm. Luke 8:44 says she came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak; she was healed immediately. But wait…the story doesn’t end there. Scripture says that Jesus felt the healing power leaving Him. When Jesus asked who touched Him, verse 47 says she fell face down at His feet, trembling. Remember, she had not touched anyone outside her family in over a decade, and now, she was caught touching Jesus. She may have thought this was the end for her. But, the miracle had just begun. In verse 48, He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Don’t miss that, Jesus called her His own; she was seen and loved. Imagine how she felt when her trembling fear turned into a change in identity and purpose! He saw her and provided all she needed. What an awesome Savior we serve!
God sees our every need just like He saw the woman’s needs. My hope is entirely placed in who He says He is. I am confident He will provide the next woman to be my attendant in His perfect time according to His plan. When the crowd of pity and self-loathing attempt to block my way to Jesus, I stretch out both hands towards my King’s feet.
Sweet sister, Jesus sees you exactly where you are. You may be in your living room like I was, or maybe you barely can get out of bed. Know you are not alone because God is with you. He doesn’t need you to get cleaned up or have everything all figured out. Jesus has the power to heal you, but more than that, He desires an intimate relationship with you!
Push your way through the crowd. Stretch out your hand! Be healed by the Savior who gave His life for you because God loves you so much!
Praying for you, precious sister!
