Reaching Out For Jesus

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Weeki Wachee

This past week I had an incredible time traveling to Florida for my cousin’s wedding. God gave me the stamina to visit friends, hang out with family, and even get to do a few touristy things. One of those tourist hotspots was Weeki Wachee.

Weeki Wachee is an old Florida tourist attraction that has dancing mermaids. The mermaids have danced long before all the other theme parks arrived. I visited the state park while living in Florida, but my sister wanted to take her son. It’s something everyone should do, so off we went.

As I sat watching the same show, The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, that I saw twelve years ago, I noticed this precious little girl in front of me. She was peaking under the curtain to get an early glimpse of the mermaids. The mermaid must have noticed because she swam right down to this little one and placed her hand on the other side of the glass from her.

During the show, the little mermaid gets to dance on land with her prince. They come out of the water and dance for a moment on the stage. As they danced, this little girl reached as far as she could to touch the bottom of the mermaid’s white gown. She got on her tippy toes, trying to get just a little feel of the satiny fabric.

The Woman Who Bled For 12 Years

As I watched this curly-haired child, I thought of the lady I had just read about in the scripture that reached for the hem of Jesus’ clothes. This woman also did everything she could just to get close to the one she believed could rescue her.

“A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.”

Luke 8:33-34 NLT

This woman was much like the leper (read about the healing of the leper here). She should never have been in the crowd. According to Jewish law, she was unclean because of the bleeding, and everyone she came in contact with would also be unclean. She would not have been able to be with her husband or others. She could never take part in the celebrations because they always deemed her unclean. For twelve years, she would have had no physical contact with another person.

I can relate to this woman on so many levels. She had seen many doctors who could not help her. I had seen fifteen doctors before finding a diagnosis. Ten of those fifteen doctors told me all the symptoms were in my head or I had experienced sexual abuse and this was the result. Thankfully, I knew I had not.

Alone And Afraid

Visiting doctor after doctor and getting the same response that I had a mental issue left me feeling alone and afraid. These symptoms were real and got worse by the day. I felt if no one believed me, I would never get the help I desperately needed. Even now, after receiving a diagnosis, our local hospital still will not treat me and say I have severe depression, which causes all my problems. They only want to offer me valium.

This woman also knew there was no cure. There is no absolute cure for Lyme Disease, unless you receive treatment immediately after the tick bite. There are things that help, but no standard treatment that is a known cure. I, and many other Lyme Disease patients, feel this sense of desperation, like this woman. When those that should know how to help say they can’t, you don’t know where to turn.

But Jesus…

This woman had heard of someone that could help her and she risked everything to just get next to Him and touch the fringe of His robe. There are studies and trials for new medications for Lyme Disease that will hopefully provide a cure one day, but until then I reach out to Jesus just like this woman with faith and hope that He will heal.

When she reached Him, He asked, “Who touched me?” He knew someone had touched Him, and it was not just bumping into Him because He was in a crowd. Jesus says, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me” (Luke 8:46).

Wow! This woman’s faith alone released the healing power from Jesus to heal her. I find this so incredible. He did not have to say or do anything. Her faith and courage ignited the power of God to heal her.

Jesus did not have to say or do anything. The woman's faith and courage ignited the power of God to heal her. #Jesusheals Share on X

“When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. ‘Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.’”

Luke 8:47-48 NLT

Reaching Out To Jesus

Over the last five years, I have wrestled with God over why I have not yet received full healing. I believe He can do it and I am ready to see it. Many days I feel like this woman reaching to touch the hem of His cloak. If I reach a little further, maybe I will feel the power. I will never stop praying for complete restoration, but I have a peace that this is not for nothing. God will use this journey for His kingdom.

Is there something you are reaching for God for? Do you have an illness you are seeking healing for? Have you struggled with an addiction you just can’t overcome? Do you have a loved one struggling, and you have been reaching for Jesus on their behalf?

There are many things in which we yearn to see God move. I want to encourage you to keep reaching. You never know when that power will release from Him and you will witness the miracle.

*All pictures taken by me. See more of my pics that you can use here on Vecteezy.