She had an “issue.“
I have mine. You have yours.
Hers was blood. Ours are other things—blacks and blues and hues of all manner of issues. Regardless of their color, they still bleed red. And if not tended to by the Healer, they will continue their hemorrhage toward eventual destruction.
I know. I suffer with an “issue” right now. And in the midst of my flowing pain, I walked a story tonight that spoke a tender portion of healing truth over my wounds.
The stage?
None other than the Vacation Bible School drama room.
The story?
The woman with the “issue” of blood.
The actors?
Me and Jesus, where the only “issue” that mattered was the one going on within my heart.
In all my decades of doing VBS, no other night has been more profound than this one. Somewhere in the middle of narrating the drama and acting as the lead participant, God dealt with my heart in pure measure. I told the children about my issue of bleeding. About my unclean status and poverty of soul. About my shame and embarrassment over a wound that refused to find its healing. About the man named Jesus who was rumored to be a healer…a water walker…a feeder of 5000.
About how I wished for his notice. His touch. His time and his healing. About the crowds and about a man named Jairus whose needs rated higher than mine. About my diminishing expectations for a miracle as I watched this Jesus pass me by.
He did pass me by, and then I did something I thought I would never have the courage to do.
I reached. I took hold of the hem of his garment. Some call this “him” Preacher Billy. But in that moment, the robe that I held in my hands belonged to Jesus. I gripped tightly, even as the word in the original Greek, haptomai, indicates (“to fasten oneself to; adhere to, cling to.”).
This was no casual hold. This was a grasping of the divine, believing that with the hold comes healing.
Tears poured down my cheeks as I clung to the hem of my husband’s dressing. Children were stunned. Some chuckled, perhaps thinking I had played my part to the tee. The older children—those adults who have come to VBS this week to offer their willing participation as chaperones—well, they knew better. They know me better. Kingdom work was at hand. If not in the hearts of the children, then certainly in the heart of this grown woman.
And for a few brief moments, I caught a glimpse of an eternal teaching that is meant for each one of us tonight. It comes in the form of question. A divine invitation for all of God’s children to join him in sacred dialogue.
Who touched me?
These three simple words hold the answer for our healing. Jesus’ question embodies his theology of faith…of believing that what is required for our wholeness resides at the end of our arms.
Our grasp.
Our healing from Jesus comes with initiative. With our asking. With our faith-filled approach to the Son of God, even when the current chaos competes for his attention. With our crawling, if need be, to get to his feet. With the thrust of a hand through the tangle of robes, believing that a garment’s edge is more than enough to garner the favor and blessing of God.
Who touched me?
The who in Jesus’ question is each one of us. The me in the question is him. And the word in between—touched—is the bridge that connects all things temporal to the eternal healing of heaven.
We must be willing to reach in order to receive. As Oswald Chamber so eloquently states, “Our reach must exceed our grasp.” We’ve got to move beyond our tight-fisted clenching and our childish thinking that keeps us on the sidelines self medicating our wounds because the reach seems too risky. Too vulnerable. Too trusting for an “issue” that has become our constant shadow. Maybe for years. Maybe even for twelve. Perhaps, even for more than we care to number.
We’ve grown accustomed to our constant until we no longer believe in the prospect of change. Our faith is buried deeply beneath our wounds so that when Jesus passes by for the grasping, he rarely garners our notice.
Let it not be so, my friends. Let us never get so caught up in our pain that we fail to see our Jesus when he walks our way. Let’s not wait for our faith to be big before we reach. Let’s reach now…even in our little. Let’s strip away the intrigue and the mystery of our need, and let’s take hold of his hem while we can. Even when bloody and barren and broken, let us boldly stretch these arms through the pressing of the crowds so that we, too, can know the power of a Father’s healing touch.
Who touched me?
How would you answer? How long has it been since you activated your faith by stretching forth your hand and taking hold of Him…even when it was hard and heavy and seemingly hopeless? Your answer to Christ’s question embodies your theology of faith.
You will never be able to respond to his inquiry until you have actually touched him, tasted him, and held the power of his resurrecting grace as your own.
Being able to answer the question requires a previous action on your part. And with that action, dear ones, you hold the keys to the kingdom. You hold the living Christ as your own.
I’ve held Him tonight. I want the same for you, and so I pray…
Give us the strength, Father, for the reach. We struggle with our many issues, and our faith seems small and unwilling to move past our wounding. Come to us Jesus. Bring your hem close enough for our touch. Tend to our wounds and speak healing to our hurts. And when it feels too hard and the heaviness threatens to keep us in a corner, give us the boldness of our sister from so long ago who had faith enough to believe and who had courage enough to grasp. I long for a grasping faith, Lord. Grow me toward this sacred end. Amen.
Copyright © August 2008 – Elaine Olsen. All rights reserved.
This really spoke to me…
“Let us never get so caught up in our pain that we fail to see our Jesus when he walks our way.”
I find I like to wallow at times, rather than exalting Him and taking the attention away from my “pains”. These are the time I need to get out my pen and paper and write down the blessings I do have instead of wallowing.
thank you for re-centering me to lay my hurts at His feet and on His shoulders.
“Our healing from Jesus comes with initiative. With our asking. With our faith-filled approach to the Son of God, even when the current chaos competes for his attention.”
YES! The world and the enemy seeks to distract us from real needs or cover them up in denial. But, our willingness to be able to see the truth of our issue is the first step to initiating! Then, we must go and seek Him and WAIT!
Elaine, I so wish I could have seen you act that part tonight. My tears would have flowed too. Thank you for being in my life through the blogging world.
And Amelia has an awesome day for a birthday. I have another friend who just had a baby yesterday…on that special day.
Oh, Elaine. SO powerful. What an amazing experience – and amazing message. I will be rereading this. (When I don’t have a child screaming next to me)
Elaine,
Great lesson here! The prayer is my prayer also. I want to extend my hand out to Him, the Healer of all.
Thanks for this-really thoughtful!
Oh Elaine, how I wish I could have been there last night. What a powerful teaching… for the children and YOU!
How many times do we settle down into our pain, let it define us that we “fail to see our Jesus when he walks our way” Why do we want to be defined by our “bleeding issue” and not be defined by Christ! Thank you for reminding me today – to look for Jesus in my bleeding.
When I am at the end of my rope… may I grasp the hem of His garment!
Beautiful Elaine, beautiful. I will never read these verses in the same way again. Thanks for bringing a new light to them for me. Powerful.
WOW, I needed to hear that. Thanks for the boldness to share!
~Jennifer
I have an “issue” that’s with me day and night. The Lord has really been speaking to me about it – this morning, with regard to Paul’s thorn and boasting in God’s strength in my weakness, and now this.
Like “skoots1mom”, I was moved by your thoughts regarding getting so caught up in our pain that we fail to see Jesus when He walks our way. Both thoughts speak to me about trust.
Since He hasn’t removed my issue, do I trust Him to be strong in my weakness? Have I wallowed so much in that weakness that my focus has shifted off His power? Do I no longer trust that if I just reach for the hem of His garment that I will receive that power?
I’ve got some heart-work to tend to. Thank you for speaking His Word to me today.
Wow! God gave you those words to speak directly to me, Elaine. Thank you for sharing and letting God lead you to this new revelation. I really liked “Let us never get so caught up in our pain that we fail to see our Jesus when he walks our way.” Man, I have written that down – I have been caught up in my “issue” of emotional pain for some time now, without knowing what to do about it. Thank you for the re-focus. May God surely bless you!!
This was so powerful…and yes I confess to ‘diminishing expectations’ in proportion to my diminishing belief that I was loved by God…loved this when you said..”We’ve got to move beyond our tight-fisted clenching and our childish thinking that keeps us on the sidelines self medicating our wounds because the reach seems too risky.”–that is powerful–
What a beautiful pic this is..powerful! Thank you…have to come back and read again..
Love, Sita
Elaine,
I’m the woman with the issue….this is one story that I can’t get enough of. It only takes ONE TOUCH. I ask Him often, for One Touch. Just ONE.
This is beautiful, and you have such a lovely, beautiful, heart…that I pray one day my arms are able to wrap around yours and look you in the eye and tell you how much Jesus and I love YOU.
Yolanda
Elaine this was such a phenomenal post. It really touched me and I don’t think I’ve ever heard it taught in such a dynamic way before.
I helped with VBS for the first time this year and I was such a joy to be able to tell the bible stories in a way the children could understand. I felt like God enabling me in a way I’d never before felt and after reading your post it sounds like He empowered you even moreso.
Thank you for sharing this with all of us.
Luanne
Sorry “I” wasn’t the joy. “It was such a joy” to be able to do it. Back to typing 101.
Luanne
I have had these moments. Times while teaching children’s church that it seemed I had stepped into a spiritual plain…and time stood still as He passed by. Afterwards I would feel almost embarrassed as if they had seen an intimate moment not meant to be seen by other eyes.
But I know that the atmosphere in the church had changed…had they felt it? Did they know that God had stepped down into our earthly atmosphere and healing was near?
And you are right….our pain, and our lack of forgiveness can often blind us to His presence.
May we never miss His presence!
May our spirits stay tender so that when the Spirit moves…we will get into the healing water.
Loved this post…..as I am sure you can tell!
Elaine,
No, it is not the Raleigh (State) Farmer’s Market. It is in southeastern part of the state, east of I-95 near SC state line.
As for what I am planting – trying my best to sow seeds of kindness, and waiting for the harvest.
Visit again soon! By the way, I believe you have visited once before and I have e-mailed you. I’m the one who asked if you knew Joe and Regina Dongell.
Blessings
Plant Lady
wifeforthejourney:
How the atmosphere of the ordinary changes with the presence of God. May we all feel the same since of urgency to hold onto Jesus, no matter our “issue.”
Love,
Billy
Elaine,
Thank you for sharing this sacred moment with us. How I wish I could have been there.
My heart has always been tender to this woman, but you’ve brought even more life to her example. I felt instant conviction when I read “We’ve grown accustomed to our constant until we no longer believe in the prospect of change. Our faith is buried deeply beneath our wounds so that when Jesus passes by for the grasping, he rarely garners our notice.” I pray with you “Let it not be so!”
What an awesome reminder to let go of our constant, whatever it may be…thank you.
With a hopeful heart and exceeding grasp…
Tracy
thanks for the beauiful reminder to hold firmly to Jesus, regardless of my issue and for the sake of my issue! His touch alone can heal…even after YEARS of issues!! Praise His name!
Bravo for the performance! Would love to see it on GodTube!! 🙂
This is one of the most powerful posts I have read on your blog Elaine! Wow! How often do I give up and turn away in defeat just about the time Jesus is walking by I wonder?
Thanks so much for sharing the story and the pictures! The pics somehow made me be able to feel the emotions you were speaking of having when you were doing the drama.
God bless you!
Marilyn in MS
I pray every day to have that kind of faith, this hit me, thank you…
Connie
GBU
You are in my prayers…
Elaine, this has touched my heart and given me courage to reach out and touch Him.
Rejoicing tonight that He is as close as the mention of His name,
Jesus….
Not letting go,
Joy
Thanks for your sweet comment on my page! That was exactly what I needed to hear. In fact I have thought about it several times to day. It keeps encouraging me!
Again, you’ve led me back to the Cross of Christ.
The more you write, the more I learn.
Ditto what Kristen (and everyone else said). That was beautiful, Elaine.
Dealing with my monthly issue of blood has been more of a challenge for me lately than ever before. (They say that is due to “growing older.”) So my heart breaks for this woman so many years ago….I cannot imagine dealing with an issue of blood for 12 years with no relief.
I love how you bring out the point that it could be “any” kind of issue for “any” length of time….And He is still the only source of healing today for what hurts us, just as He was so many, many years ago.
God Bless,
Amy:)
Thank you for this.
I have my ‘issue’ these days. I’ve had it for a couple of years now and it is fear.
THANK YOU for this! It means a LOT to me.
I am reaching…….and watching for Jesus.
As I prepare to give birth the fear is creeping in. I’m praying and whatching and reaching. Thanks for the reminder.
I just love how, when we are open and receptive to Christ, He will enter into the simple things we do and transform them into powerful moment of revelation.
Great Post!
You will never be able to respond to his inquiry until you have actually touched him, tasted him, and held the power of his resurrecting grace as your own.
OK Elaine, you are on a ROLL my friend.
Heck, I’m going to start a folder titled “Elaine’s quotes”. (don’t worry I won’t use them without your permission!!!)
Gosh, this was just awesome.
On our first trip to Russia we acted out this story too. I’ll never forget when a young woman came running up to the altar in tears saying, “this is me, this is me”! Literally. (can you imagine, she never heard the gospel preached!)
We had the awesome privilege of praying for her healing. She had the amazing childlike faith to receive it. Our faith was challenged like never before.
Thanks for sharing this sacred moment with us. I pray God continues to reach deep inside of you and touches every area you give to Him.
Have a wonderful weekend my friend♥
This brought tears to my eyes. Praise God for the deep revelation and reminder of God’s faithfulness to our cry.
I really really really can’t wait to get a hold to your book, and pass it out to friends and neighbors!
Have a blessed day,
Kennisha
I don’t just have an issue. . . I’ve got issues!
And I am so thankful that just to touch the hem of His garmet brings me healing.
I can add little more to what the others have said. It’s a beautiful post.
Kathleen
I’m so convinced that when God speaks to us… He doesn’t want us to keep it for ourselves or to ourselves… all along it may have been meant for another. And sometimes it does both!
Wow! I love this woman with the issueof blood for she is each and everyone of us. Needing and striving to touch Him, but unlike her many of us never take the chance. “Our faith is buried deeply beneath our wounds so that when Jesus passes by for the grasping, he rarely garners our notice.” How profound I find these words. How many times has Jesus walked by me and I miss Him? All I can say again is Wow-how awesome is this post thank you for sharing this experience. God bless you
Someone posted your link for me on my blog today. We posted about the same scripture. I was testifying to my healing. I’m glad she left me the link. We are on the same wave link.