From my journal, dated 12-7-94, as I studied Six Weeks to a Simpler Lifestyle by Barbara Degrote-Sorensen and David Allen Sorenson.
“You will never be entirely pure in your motives.”
There among the people was a woman who had been bleeding for the past twelve years. She had suffered very much. Many doctors had tried to help her, and all the money she had was spent, but she was not improving. In fact, her sickness was getting worse.
The woman heard about Jesus, so she followed him with the other people and touched his coat. She thought, “If I can just touch his clothes, that will be enough to heal me.” As soon as she touched his coat, her bleeding stopped. She felt that her body was healed from all the suffering. Jesus immediately felt power go out from him, so he stopped and turned around. “Who touched my clothes?” he asked.
The followers said to Jesus, “There are so many people pushing against you. But you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
But Jesus continued looking for the one who touched him. The woman knew that she was healed, so she came and bowed at Jesus’ feet. She was shaking with fear. She told Jesus the whole story. He said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace. You will not suffer anymore.” Mark 5:25-34 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
The answer to the woman’s quest of healing lay in getting close to Jesus. She let nothing interfere with that. True, she had tried everything else already. But she didn’t give up. She persevered until she could touch the Lord.
And Jesus? He accepted her as he accepts us all – openly, lovingly, completely.
How do I approach God? I see myself as a very small child, creeping onto His lap to be cuddled. And then I see that I am also an independent 2-year-old, stubbornly insisting that “I do it myself!” Yet still lovingly, patiently welcomes me into his arms. How utterly amazing!