I am SO excited to hear your stories this week. Please take the time to write out your story to share with us in 700-800 words. If you are following online, you can sent it through the contact for me to share in the group or post online. Life does get busy and you may be tempted to think that everyone else can share instead of you, but I believe that we are meant to share our stories whether your valley was a bump in the road or the pit of despair.
Remember Faith’s story this past week?
Mark 5:32-34 (NIV)32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
We talked about how the whole story would have been shorter and more to everyone’s liking if Jesus HAD NOT stopped to confront Faith or hear her story. However, his purpose was to do MORE than just heal her.
Wait . . . more than just heal?
Well, as I read it, she was already healed when she approached him with her fear and trembling. The faith to receive healing didn’t mean she was freed from her fears after 12 years of isolation and separation. Her fear STILL existed even after she’d been healed. When she offers her confession of the whole truth, she’s cowering at his feet, trembling. It is THEN that Jesus gives her the MORE, the peace and freedom from suffering. While her faith healed her, it was her encounter with Jesus that freed her from suffering.
I’m wondering if maybe her “suffering” was more to do with a life of shame and exclusion rather than just her physical ailment. So, while touching his garment heals her body, it is Jesus’ words that free her from her TRUE soul suffering. He commands her to “GO!” This is part of what You Go, Girl! is meant to do. Encourage. Equip. Empower. This going, in an equipped and empowered way, means sharing our story, our healing, our suffering, our valleys, deserts, and pits.
I believe it is THIS confession, THIS whole truth, THIS willingness to speak about what Jesus has healed in us, that replaces our shame with humility, peace, and freedom by bringing Christ the GREAT GLORY he deserves. Our story becomes about the larger work He is doing.
SO, if you weren’t already planning to share, I pray you will reconsider! I’ll read it for you if you are too nervous.
