Perseverance

Perseverance. Infertile women know all about perseverance. We remain steadfast in our desire to conceive no matter how insane our medication makes us! We keep trying to maintain our sanity no matter how many pregnant co-workers we must throw showers for! We continue to ask for grace to keep going as we press on toward the goal of finally holding that much-desired bundle of joy in our arms! Oh yes, we understand perseverance!

So could the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9. Boy, we could really have a conversation with her, couldn’t we? Just like us, her body betrayed her too. She had gone to doctor after doctor and none could help her. She had spent every penny she had, yet the blood continued to flow. (Are you feeling a connection with her yet?) She tried everything she knew to try, yet nothing had worked to correct the faultiness of her body. Yet something in her pressed her to persevere.

Perhaps it was the excitement in the air when she heard Jesus was passing through her community that drew her to the streets that day. Maybe it was desperation. She may have been at the end of her rope and just tired of suffering for so long. Whatever the catalyst, something spurred this woman on to force her way through a bustling crowd of people to get to where Jesus was. She was certainly not welcomed among the throngs of mothers and children. Shunned at family gatherings and avoided by peers, it must have been uncomfortable for her to even show up, much less shove people out of her way. She knew she had one last chance and she had to make it count. She had to persevere one more time.

She must have begun crawling toward Jesus. She crept this way, and then that. Everyone was looking over the person’s shoulders in front of them, and no one thought to look down! If they felt her brush against their knees, they assumed she was a child or an animal and for once, didn’t even bother to move away! Oh, it was difficult, but she was making ground. Jesus wasn’t moving too swiftly, and He’d stop to talk to people, so she’d surely be able to catch up with Him. She didn’t know what she’d do when she made her way to Him, she just knew she had to get to Him. She’d figure out the rest when she got there.

Her body was weakening. She didn’t know how much further she could go. Only a little further. Keep going! He’s within reach. “If I could just touch His cloak, I know I’ll be healed!”. With one final surge of strength, she pushed her worn body out as far as she could reach as her finger tips brushed the fringes of His garment, her exhausted flesh fell to the dusty ground with a thud.

“Who touched Me?”

The crowd stopped moving, and the whispering began. “What does He mean? A lot of people were touching Him. Many people were reaching for Him. What does He want to know?”

He asked again. “Who touched Me?” She knew. She knew He was talking about her. Taking a deep breath, she began to rise to her feet. For the first time in years, the trembling in her body was from excitement rather than weakness. “It was me.”

You could hear the gasps throughout the crowd when they saw this societal reject approach Jesus and take center stage in this mind boggling event. Who did she think she was to touch Jesus? She better get ready for a tongue lashing!

“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

For the first time in 12 years, no bleeding. No weakness. No need to hide, no need to feel different. No need to wonder if God cared. No need to listen to nay-sayers who said to give up and accept that her suffering was God’s plan. She persevered and her faith survived.

I’m sure you can relate to this woman at the beginning of her story. Her body betrayed her. She was an outcast in her society. Her struggle seemed to last forever. Doctor after doctor scratched their heads in bewilderment and all her money was gone. I hope you can relate to her perseverance in the face of on-going struggle.

If you fear that it makes no difference if you continue to pray for a baby, remember this woman and persevere in your prayer life. If you wonder if you are being foolish to continue to believe God for a miracle, remember this woman and hear Jesus say to your heart, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” If you persevere, eventually your fingers will brush the fringes of His garment. Your life will change and you’ll never be the same.