Last hope, Only hope.

"And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:25-34 NIV)" 

So many things get me about this story, 

How much we can relate to this woman, how much faith and courage she had to do what she did and how in one single moment her life was completely changed by one simple act. 

The thought that I have tonight though is, after 12 years wouldn't you have given up hope? And maybe she had until she heard about Jesus. It says she suffered under the care of many Doctors, but she grew worse, not better. In other words she had tried everything, she had nothing else to go with, she had no money left and she was surely now an outcast. 

Can you imagine how she felt when everything she did ended up making her life harder? When she had literally done everything she could and still had no relief? 

Can you imagine how she felt when she heard that Jesus was coming? 

And yet when Jesus realized what had happened he was not dissapointed that she had not come sooner, or that she did not ask for healing but rather took it. Instead he just praised her for her faith and released her. 

This is so much like our lives. We try everything, we go to so many people and places for help and when nothing works we turn to God and without judgement or anger he heals us in a single moment. 

It's things like this that make me realize that I could not possible Love him more.