Mark 5:24-29  “And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and she was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his cloak, I will be made well.”

Come back with me to the Canadian Christian Festival held in Halifax. It promised to be a moment to remember so I arranged for our entire youth group of 25 plus young adults to make the journey to Halifax where we slept on concrete church floors for the privilege of being there. It was especially important to me since one of my heroes of faith was present and giving a lecture. Sadly, everyone else present had the same idea and the audience was capped at 100 and I was nowhere near being on the guest list so I had to sign up for another workshop.

I couldn’t do it.

I decided I would simply stand outside the lecture room and hope to hear a word or two of the message. I said to myself, “If only I can get close enough to be touched by his message…” The room was packed and it was hot and doors and windows were opened to give air. When the door I was hiding behind was opened Bishop Tutu saw me and a few others and said, “Come, come, sit by me and be comfortable.” I spent the next hour so close to the bishop that we often touched, and I felt the aura of this servant of God and the power of his message.

A woman with a hemorrhage of blood said similar words to mine, convinced that, if only she could touch the hem of Jesus’ robe, she would be healed.

Sometimes it takes an effort to get close to Jesus. There are circumstances in life that tell us we cannot change, we cannot get better, we cannot… and we add to the list our own personal situation. Time and again the bible commends those who say no to such negativity and reach out to touch Jesus… and their lives were never the same again.

We all can think of reasons that prevent us from getting close to Jesus but the bottom line is that he is simply waiting to feel your tug, your touch, on the hem of his robe. If you can do that today I promise you, your life will never be the same again!

Prayer: “I want to be willing to let go, to forgive .but dare not ask for the will to forgive, in case you give it to me and I am not yet ready.”
(Bishop Desmond Tutu)

Kenn Stright