“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.” -Matthew 9:20
One day as I was out in my favorite pair of flip-flops, I saw someone in a local coffee shop I had not seen in some time. In my exuberance and excitement to give him a hug I stepped towards him as he received my embrace. Unfortunately, in the process, he moved his shoe in such a way that he just barely clipped the big toenail of my right foot. After we were done hugging, there was a slight delay, and then a flood of pain. As I looked down, half of my toenail was bent upward and blood was gushing from it. For days and weeks after I had to keep on wearing my open toe shoes because of my wound. Unfortunately, socks and tennis shoes just wouldn’t work with the way the toenail had been injured.
It’s funny, I never really paid much attention to where my feet were as I went through life. But now that my toe was injured, I was keenly aware of its placement relative to everything and everyone else. For weeks, with great caution, I carefully positioned myself to avoid any further pain.
It’s interesting how unhealed wounds affect everything we do in life. Unhealed wounds affect the way we walk, the way we talk, and the way we interact with others. And it wasn’t until my toe was completely healed that I could go through life not having to worry about hurting it again.
In the above scripture Jesus healed the bleeding woman in two ways. Not only did He heal her physically, He healed and restored her relationally, and emotionally as well. The wound that for so long distanced her from others now became a testimony of God's goodness. Now that this woman was healed, she could thrive and not just survive. She could more readily engage in the mission God had for her because of Jesus’ healing touch in her life.
CHALLENGE
What about you? Take a moment to ask God if any past hurt or pain is keeping you from talking, walking and being the way God intends for you. If something comes to mind, take some time to get intimate with Jesus and ask him to heal this pain. Perhaps it will become a testimony as you labor for God's kingdom!