WHO ?

How many times, when you were in school, did the English teacher have you write a paper on the question:  If you could have lunch with any famous person, living or dead, who would it be?  This same question seems to appear in magazine quizzes and discussion groups.  The answers always include one President or another.  Elvis or another famous artist is selected.  Mother Theresa is a top option and, sadly, some would sit down with a violent criminal.  I guess each has their reason for choosing the person they would enjoy eating with.

No, I have not forgotten the tremendous amount of people that would quickly say, “I would want to have lunch with Jesus.”

“Mary, would you want to have lunch with me?  I am sure you would have questions.”

Hi Jesus.  Would you be upset if I told you my pick would not be you?

“It would take a lot more than that to make me upset.  Is it because we have conversations and you pretty much have asked me every question in the book?”

I might have asked, but you sure are not very free with giving answers.  Nope, I want to sit down with your mother.

“My mother?  She is an amazing woman, but why her instead of me?”

You are getting upset, aren’t you?

“No.  Just curious.  Not very many people pick her.  And they are missing out on dining with a woman of great …….”

That is just it.  I have so many questions to ask her… Did you doubt your courage to be the mother to God’s Son?  Did you ….

“You interrupted me again."

Sorry.

“May I continue now?  What do you think it would be like dining with my mother?”

Oh, when I close my eyes and picture it, I see us sitting beside a stream.  I can see her face.  Her eyes would draw me in and make me feel safe and her skin would be so soft.  Her mouth would have a slight smile.  Her back would be straight, and her hands would have an ever so gentle …..

“Are you talking about my mother? The mother who, with one glare, could make me pick up my toys.  And would never allow me to skip school with the other boys.  And she made me eat all my vegetables."

Hey, I was not done.  Her hands would have an ever so gentle touch as she would lay her hand on mine.  And I can hear her soft voice telling me her story.  I can see her shoulders stiffen and then drop, as she relived standing … standing before the Cross.

And when she was finished, I would have no questions.  I would know the honor she felt after the angel visited her.  And I would hear her softly tell of her fears, because every mother has fears.  She would have grinned from ear to ear as she talked about you as a child.  She would have told me what it was like to hear you speak in the temple or in the courtyard or to a child.  And I would have seen the tears as she told about the last time she held your face in her hands.

And, when I could find my voice, I would humbly thank her.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

I have always answered the question with Mary.  Usually, I followed that with questions I would ask her: Was he a good boy?  Surely, he got in trouble sometime.  What was his favorite food? Did he?  Did he?

BUT, as I started writing,   I realized,   if I was having lunch with Mary,  she would tell me her story     and I would have no questions. 

If you could have lunch with any famous person, living or dead, who would it be?  It would be Mary, and I would treasure every word.

THE WEDDING SHOWER

Our grandson is getting married in just a few days.  Last Sunday, our son and I went to their wedding shower.  Yes, this shower was for the Bride and Groom.  The shower was a two- and a half-hour drive --- one way, but we were more than happy to make the drive.  Besides, it was a beautiful day and we had time to talk.  Of course, talking meant missing when the road turned --- twice.  I don’t know why they hide road signs.  (You are to give an “I have been there” nod.)

We arrived at the location and the parking in front of the venue was all shut off by orange cones.  Well, being a talented driver, our son popped right between those orange cones so I could get out and not have to walk from a parking lot somewhere.  Our grandson was watching and immediately came out to help me in.  He grabbed the gifts and in we went.

You know how these events go.  Mingle.  Talk.  His side.  Her side.  A nice lunch.  A typical shower game.  It was a small shower so all went wonderfully until ---- it was announced that they had decided to open the gifts at home.  Our grandson was standing right beside me and that is when my mouth said what my brain was thinking.

With a look that only a grandma can give, I said, “I did not ride two and a half hours to not see you open your gifts.”  Grandson quickly said they would open our gifts.  Then our son spoke up, “You cannot open just one gift.  Either none or all.”

With that it was announced that the gifts would be opened there.  And as they reached for a gift, the giver would move to the edge of their chair and watch with great expectations.  The giver grinned from ear to ear when they saw the reaction to their gift.  The bride and groom could comment and say thank you directly to each person. 

And we went home.

------------------------------------------

I wonder if that is how Jesus feels as he gives gifts to his children.  Does he sit on the edge of his seat to watch our reaction?  Do we quickly unwrap each gift and realize its value?  Do we see his smile and the sparkle in his eyes as we look up in wonder at his generosity?  Do we toss one gift aside to open the next or do we humbly thank him for each one?

                              GIFTS

Leadership            Administration     Teaching

Knowledge            Wisdom                Prophecy

Discernment         Exhortation           Shepherding

Faith                      Evangelism           Apostleship

Service/Helps       Mercy                   Giving

Hospitality            Healing                 Interpretation

Miracles                Tongues                Evangelism

BUT WAIT – THERE IS ONE MORE

#1 GIFT

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, THE WATER I GIVE THEM WILL BECOME IN THEM A SPRING OF WATER WELLING UP TO ETERNAL LIFE.”                    John 4:10, 13

Oh, how amazing are the gifts we receive from our Lord and Savior. 

 

DEAD BATTERY

I had errands I needed to run.  Okay, full disclosure, I did not run – I drove the car.  Or at least I tried to.

From July 25 to September 10, Bill has chauffeured me wherever I needed to be.  Off we would go to a doctor’s appointment.  Off we would go to … oh … I guess doctor appointments were the only place we went.  Bill went to all the other places:  grocery store, to get prescriptions filled, hardware, dollar store, and to pick up meals (no grub hub here).  Finally, boot off meant I could drive.  I did not need a chauffeur.  I could go to town all on my own.  Freedom!!!

I took my trusty cane.  I got in the car, armed with my list and my charge card.  I put my seat belt on.  I put the garage door up.  I pushed the brake pedal.  I pushed the Engine Start/Stop button.  The car did not start.  Instead, a message popped up:  NO KEY FOB DETECTED.  What?  I have my key in my purse.  I haven’t used it for six weeks, but it is in my purse. 

Now, more than a bit miffed, I dug my key fob out.  “See car.  Here is a key fob.”  I pushed the lock button.  It did not work.  (Big sigh.)  The battery must be dead.  BUT never fear ---

A few years back, three ladies were in Michigan.  We had gone to see a new antique store.  The day was fun.  We had laughed.  We enjoyed the store and made a purchase or two.  We stopped for supper.  Getting out of the car, I pushed the lock button.  The door did not lock.  The key fob battery was dead.  BUT never fear!  This had happened once before and I was ready.  I had a new battery in the car.  Taking the battery, into the restaurant, I figured I could quickly change the battery and we would enjoy our supper knowing we would be able to get the car started.  I knew how to insert the battery.  What I was not prepared for was getting the battery out of the plastic package.

You would think the battery was a gold brick from Fort Knox!  I did not have anything to cut through thick plastic so I turned to the gentleman standing beside me and asked, “Do you have a pocket knife I could borrow?”  He replied, “No.”  Then he moved away from us.  Did he really think we looked like dangerous characters.  Whatever --- I needed to get to that battery.

Next I tried the bartender.  “Sir, do you have a knife that would cut this plastic?  I need the battery.”  He would not give me a knife.  He took the battery, picked up a knife, and, with a “really you couldn’t get this open” smile, proceeded to … not get the battery out.  Now the man sitting at the bar was trying very hard not to laugh, as the bartender picked up a different knife.  Trying to cut the plastic, he said, “How bad do you need this battery?”  With one more try, the plastic was cut and the battery was placed in the remote.  I breathed a sigh of relief and offered a reward to the bartender.  He said, “I am going to get so much mileage telling this story, you do not need to give me a tip.”   ---

I remembered all this, as I sat in my car, with a dead remote fob battery, and a new battery.  The only difference is that the new battery was already removed from its plastic case and ready to be used. 

Because I was ready.  Sorta like Matthew 25:1-4, 10, 13

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps."

“But while they (foolish ones) were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.  The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.  And the door was shut.”

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

When will the key fob battery quit working?  I do not know, but I have a battery ready.

When will the bridegroom arrive?  I do not know, but I have a lamp and a jar of oil ready.

 

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DOING?

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was so thankful I did not have to go through chemo or radiation.  I received many cards and one said, “Just be glad you did not have ….”  Well, I was glad! But I took those words wrong.  They hurt.  I felt I was being told my cancer was no big deal.  When I told my cancer doctor about how I felt, she said everyone has to own their particular cancer (illness).  You can not play the ‘at least’ game because there is always someone who has it worse than you.”  Her words put everything into perspective.  I started with this because I want to fast forward two years.  ……………….

As you know, I had foot surgery in July and have been wearing a boot since then.  At first I could only walk on my heel.  Now I can walk normal and continue to wear the boot.  Hopefully, when you read this I will be out of the boot, because that darned boot makes me walk off stride and my back and leg are beginning to hurt.  As a matter of fact —-

I could not get comfortable.  Every part of my body hurt.  Either my arthritis (thank you mother for sharing that with me) or my back and leg hurt and that darn boot made my foot hot.  The wee hours of the night and I could not sleep.  So, I did what I often do.  I talked to God.

God, you awake?

“Yes, Mary, I am awake.”

God, I am tired!  For the last three years it has been one thing after another.  Do I have to make a list?  It ..

“Did you want me to answer about making a list or was that rhetorical?”

Rhetorical.  (You need to know that the following was said in a voice of frustration, anger, and absolute honesty.)  God, I am tired.  It seems it has been one thing after another.  Poor Bill is doing what I should be doing and it is killing me to watch him do “my work.”  And who would think a person could miss dusting?  And we have not been able to go to church … again.  The broken leg kept us home and now the toe repair stopped us from going.  I miss church.  I miss the people and Sunday School.  I miss praying together.  I miss hearing the word.  And I hurt tonight.  And I cannot sleep.  And I wonder what I am supposed to be doing?  I have a whole list of what I cannot do.  But what am I supposed to be doing?

“Check your email.” 

WHAT?  I spill out my heart and you tell me to check my email. 

“Check your email.” 

Surely God didn’t mean to check my email now…in the wee hours of the night, especially after all the things I had just said to him.  BUT I checked my email.  There it was. 

Dear Mary:

 

Sometimes reading your blog and Larry Wade's blog are what keep me going.

 

The last couple of months have been rough.   Reading your thoughts always some how "grounds" me and lets me know others have troubles and they survive.

 

Every day is a gift - even though some are so hard that does not seem to be true.

 

Things are getting better for - just hope and pray that continues. 

—————————————- 

God did mean right then because checking my email gave me a blessing.  My words encouraged someone. 

Did I go gently to sleep?  No.  I still hurt, but I had my answer: I am to use words to encourage. 

I wrote about this for a number of reasons. 

• We often say God does not answer our prayers.  He does.  Sometimes, his answer seems a bit odd so we don’t do it.  Listen.  Do what he tells you.  And when he tells you.
• We often do not realize how small actions can impact someone.  You might think it is just a greeting card.  The person receiving the card smiles because you cared and thought of them.
• We often think, “I am only one.  What can I do?”  Remember:  Jesus was only one and he called his disciples one or two at a time.  He used one Moses, one Abraham, one Esther, one Mary and one man in the tombs.  He will use you. 

I so want to thank the person that sent the email.  You were God’s messenger!!!!!! Through your email, I received peace. 

——————————— 

PS  I did not write this to get sympathy or sound like poor me.  I wrote this to let you know that, just like the person who sent the email, sometimes life is hard.  Sometimes, it just plain sucks.  Sometimes life does not seem like a gift.  BUT God uses us in HIS way.  God uses us where we are, not where we want to be. 

Also, I did get the dusting done and the boot is off.

NOW YOU SEE HIM, NOW YOU DON’T —- HIDING IN THE TOMBS

PART TWO

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.  He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”  Mark 5:6-7

Do you see him?  Jesus is standing there and the man is on his knees in front of him.  Can you feel the tension?  The community is afraid with this man outside the tombs.  When he stays in the tombs, at least they feel safe.  Then he is shouting.  The sound causes everyone to step back.  Everyone, except Jesus and Jesus knows the voice is not the voice of the man.  It is the voice of an impure spirit.

For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.  Mark 5:8-10

Cliff notes: Mark 5:8-14 The impure spirit is named Legion and does not want to be sent out of the area.  I guess the demons thought they could leave the man in the tombs and move quickly into the souls of the locals.  What is a demon without a soul to control?  This seemed like a good plan until Jesus did as they begged.  Into the pigs they went and into the lake went the pigs.  Bye, bye Legion.  The people came to see what was going on.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.  Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.  Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.  Mark 5:15-17

Put yourself back into the story.  Right in front of you sits the man who was possessed.  Are you wanting to go hug the man?  Are you wanting to shake his hand and join him in praise that he is in his right mind?  Are you wondering what is wrong with all the people standing around?  Why are they still afraid of this man?  And why did they want Jesus to leave their region?

What would you be doing?  Would you go get your crazy uncle (we all have at least one) and bring him to Jesus to be healed?  Would you bring your child to be blessed?  Would you fall on your knees?  Or would you tell Jesus to leave?

All the blessings this community could have had… All the wisdom Jesus could have taught them… The gift of eternal life… and they were mad because their money ran into a lake and drowned.  They wanted the man to be back in the tombs.  That is what they understood.  They knew how to deal with that.  But this …..  This man had to leave.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.  Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.  And all the people were amazed.  Mark 5:18-20

Please picture the man who used to live in the tombs one more time.  He is walking away from the boat.  His shoulders droop and he is looking at the ground.  He hears one more voice telling him no.  Why did Jesus say he could not go with him?  He had begged.  Jesus said no.  How that hurt.  Jesus had given his life back.  He wanted to be with him.  He wanted to serve him.

It was with that thought, that the man stopped.  He stood up straight.  He looked back over his shoulder and realized Jesus had not told him no.  Jesus asked him to serve as a witness to the people in the Decapolis.  Instead of hearing Jesus agree to what he wanted, the man finally heard what Jesus wanted, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Watch just a minute more.  What man do you see now?  Do you see a man who lived in the tombs?  Do you see a man with a story to tell?

Take your eyes off the man and look toward the boat.  Jesus is watching as the man walks away.  He sees the stooped shoulders and that he is looking down.  Jesus knows the man is disappointed, but he had to tell him no.  Now Jesus is smiling.  He sees the man stand tall.  He sees the man stop and look over his shoulder.  He sees the man give him a thumbs up as he turns and walks toward his own people.

—————————————

Do you see the man in the tombs differently?  Or are you seeing the man for the first time.  Admit it.  These verses are fun to read because we like the image of the pigs running into the lake.  We like to shout and clap when Legion drowns.  We skip the part about the people asking Jesus to leave because we picture him as the good guy, wearing a big white hat, and sailing off into the sunset.  And no one remembers that the man no longer lives in the tombs.

There are so many lessons in these verses, but what do we remember?  We remember the pigs ran into the lake.  We forget that a man was so tormented that he cut himself and cried out.  We forget the man who lived among the tombs because he was taken over by an impure spirit.  We forget that a man was told he could not go with Jesus.  We forget that the man, who no longer lived in the tombs, had a story to tell.  And what an amazing story it is.

Remember:  The body is a weapon that a demon can use in attacking God.

REFERENCES:

https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhm/mark-5.html

https://www.gotquestions.org/my-name-is-Legion.html

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/gerasene-demoniac/commentary-on-mark-51-20

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-5/

 

I want to thank you for reading my blog.  I feel blessed that my blog is reaching people in the USA, Singapore, Israel, Hong Kong, Canada, Ireland, Germany, France, Finland, China, and other foreign countries.  You are giving me a valuable gift:  your time.  I pray that you find a morsel that brings joy to your day and encourages you in your faith walk.  Celebrate each day, Mary

————————————————-

NOW YOU SEE HIM, NOW YOU DON’T —- HIDING IN THE TOMBS

PART ONE

We made a quick, overnight stop in New Orleans on business.  The next morning, we decided to go for a short walk.  The desk clerk saw us heading toward the door and proceeded to show us where we could safely walk.  Off we went, first down one street and then another.  We went around a corner and there it was.  A cemetery! I started to cross the street when Bill said, “That is outside the safe area.”  To which I replied, “It is just across the street and you know how I like to see cemeteries.”

Full of bravado, I walked right across the street, stepped inside the walls surrounding the cemetery, and immediately turned around.  With that first step, I had seen many homeless move behind graves.  This small-town gal was smart enough to know I had no business going any further.  I also knew this cemetery was home to people who, for one reason or another, did not fit into society.  I bet every one of them had a story to tell.

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.  When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.  Mark 5:1-2

THE TOMBS:  The tombs would be outside of the cities, in desolate places, where the touch of the grave was polluting.  This man was lost to an impure spirit.  He was in a vicious circle: He was unclean for seven days because he touched graves, but he couldn’t come out of the tombs long enough to be clean.

This is where you join the story.  Use your imagination.  Picture a boat … no, not a cruise ship … a small boat and Jesus is stepping out onto the shore.  Notice that the disciples are not mentioned.  They must have stayed on the boat and missed all the excitement.

Look to your left.  Do you see an unkept man coming towards Jesus?  His clothes are tattered.  His hair unkept.  People were stepping back to let him through.  They were afraid of this man who lived in the tombs.

This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.  For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.  No one was strong enough to subdue him.  Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.  Mark 5:3-5 NIV

Surely your heart is torn as you read about this man.  Surely questions form in your mind.  The first thing we discovered was that this man had an impure spirit.  What kind of a spirit could not be tamed by chains?  What torment this man must have been going through.  What voices did he hear that made him cry out?  What was he trying to cut out with stones?

Picture how this man lived.  He was so violent that no one could bind him.  Can you see him being held down as chains were put on his hands and irons on his feet? How frightening that must have been.  Can you see him breaking free and running away to hide? Can you see him looking up and crying into the dark sky?

This man was possessed by the devil and saw no way out.  Until he saw a man stepping off a boat.  He had heard about this man.  His name was Jesus.  The possessed man started running toward Jesus.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.  He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”      Mark 5:6-7

“What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most  High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

PART TWO NEXT WEEK

 

THE BLEEDING WOMAN — MARK 5:25-34

PART 4

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”       Mark 5:32-34

THE REWARD

One last time, look at the woman, before Jesus.  She is scared, trembling.

I was so frightened when I heard Jesus say, “Who touched my clothes?”  I fell down before him and told him my whole story.  I told him about being unclean.  I told him about having a flow of blood for 12 years.  I told him how I had spent all my money trying to find a cure, but that my condition had only gotten worse.  I told him everything.  I saw his eyes as I told him I only wanted to touch his garment.  His eyes were only on me, as we were the only people in the universe.  I bowed my head and said, “I only wanted one touch.  I knew I would be healed.  I only wanted one touch.”

My breathing was so shallow … My heart was barely beating … My ….  What did he say?

He - Jesus - called me his daughter.  He said my faith had made me well.  He told me to go in peace.  He - Jesus - said I was healed.

And then I realized, my name is no longer ‘unclean.’

————————————-

Wow.  If you are like me, you need a minute to process this story.  The emotions of the woman were intense.  She listened as people talked about Jesus and she took what she heard seriously.  Her desire to be healed gave her the courage to act.  Her courage to take action, caused her to succeed.  When she succeeded, she was rewarded.  She received a miracle.

A few things to think about:

Why wasn’t Jesus unclean after the woman touched his clothes?  The Law said he would be.  BUT, through Jesus the penalties of the Law are reversed, and the contamination of this world had no effect on Christ.  The woman did not make Jesus (God’s dwelling) unclean—He made her clean!

Jesus can multitask.  He was on the way to wake a sleeping child, who was dead by the standards of the world, when he healed the woman who had bleed for 12 years.  The faith of the woman was strong enough to be felt through a gentle touch.

The power of Jesus healed the woman.  Why didn’t he just nod at her and keep on walking?  Jesus stopped what He was doing and acknowledged the result of this woman’s faith:  her complete and instantaneous healing.

The emotions of the woman were intense.  Her name was no longer unclean.  He called her daughter.

Thank you for walking with the woman on her path to healing.

————-

References

https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-09-30/menstrual-cycle-taboo-holds-women-back/8996526

https://www.gotquestions.org/woman-issue-blood.html

https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/period-myths#Myth-2:-The-pain-of-a-period-is-just-like-anything-youve-experienced

 

 

THE BLEEDING WOMAN — MARK 5:25-34

PART 3

When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”  Mark 5:27-30

SHE SUCCEEDED

Again, picture the woman.  See her in the crowd.  Only inches away from her goal as she stretches her hand toward his garment.

This was Jesus!  She was so close.  She could almost touch his garment.  Just one more step, past one more person, and she would be able to reach out her hand …

And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”       Mark 5:29-30

For a second or for half a second, she was not sure, her fingers gently touched the robe Jesus was wearing.  Immediately the bleeding stopped.  And her very soul shouted with joy.  Then she heard Jesus say, “Who touched my clothes?”

Her mind began to race:  How did he know?  In this crowd, how could he even feel such a soft touch?

But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” Mark 5:31

What will happen to me now?  Will he be angry and the flow start again?  Will the crowds turn on me when they realize I am the unclean woman?  I will tell the truth.

She fell down, fearing and trembling …..

PART 4 NEXT WEEK

 

THE BLEEDING WOMAN — MARK 5:25-34

Part 2

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Mark 5:25-28

SHE TOOK ACTION

 Can you see her?

Pacing in her quiet home, alone, thinking about what she had heard, the bleeding woman said, “I will go to find Jesus.  I know I am not to be in a crowd, but I will not shout or cry out.  I will not draw attention to myself.  I will slowly work my way through the crowd.  If only I can get close enough….  If only I can touch his garment… If I can touch his clothes ……

So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Mark 5:24

Picture the actions of the bleeding woman as she left her home ..  the only place she was safe from causing others to become unclean.

Walking out her door, the bleeding woman looked at the ground.  If no one saw her face, maybe she could get to where Jesus was without attracting attention to herself.  If only….  The streets began to fill up.  “Why are there so many?” she wondered, “I never expected the crowd to be this large.  Someone said Jesus was headed to heal a sick child.  No wonder there are so many following.  They want to see a miracle.  That is what I want too… a miracle.”

Moving slowly, the woman was searching for Jesus.  She was sure she would recognize him.  He would be the man everyone was looking at.  He would be leading the group.  “I heard he has disciples.  I hope I can get through them.  Will they have him surrounded to protect him?”

Although she was worried, she continued.  She moved through the crowd.  Her feet seemed to know where to go.  There were so many people.  It was hard for her to see one step in front of herself.  And then … Just like that … There he was.

How did she know it was Jesus?  She could feel his power.  She could see his authority by the way he walked… sure confident.  She could see the love in his eyes as he looked at all around him.

This was Jesus! She was so close.  She could almost touch his garment.  Just one more step, past one more person, and she would be able to reach out her hand …

PART 3 NEXT WEEK

 

THE BLEEDING WOMAN — MARK 5:25-34

THE BACKGROUND

Menstruation, an act of nature which cleans the lining of the uterus and prepares a woman’s body for a possible pregnancy, has long been a taboo subject.  Just seeing the title will make some stop reading today’s blog.  Why?

Ministers will include Mark 5:25-34 in a sermon, but only because they want to get to the part about Jesus waking the girl everyone thought was dead.  Even the disciples discouraged Jesus.  Why is this woman quickly passed over?

Kieran Gandhi, a musician, got her period as she was ready to run the 2015 London Marathon.  She was not prepared and decided to bleed freely and run.  Some praised her for “combatting stigma and drawing attention to the millions of girls and women worldwide who do not have access to menstrual products” and others found her action disgusting.  Why is there a history of menstrual taboos:?

If this is a natural cycle, why is/was it only talked about between women?  Why do women try to hide their periods?  Why do men still think cramps or mood swings are not real?

Why?  Because in the Law, women with a loss of blood were considered unclean.

If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.

If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity.  She shall be unclean.”

     

Leviticus 15:19, 25

THE WOMAN

Can you even imagine the life this woman led?  UNCLEAN!  How would that feel?

Among them was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years.  She had suffered very much from many doctors and had spent all the money she had, but instead of improving, she was getting worse.       Mark 25:25-26

12 years! Think about all you have done in the last twelve years.  Maybe vacations, weddings, additions to your family, moving, changing jobs…..  What if you could not have done any of these?  What if you could not attend the wedding of your child?  Or gone on a vacation?  This woman could only be in a limited area.  Besides she was broke.

Her money disappeared as she tried doctor after doctor trying to find an answer.  Trying to get her life back.  Trying to be able to have contact with other people.

Of all that this bleeding took away from her, physical contact would be the hardest.  Picture her life with no handshakes.  No hugs.  No kisses.  No intimacy.  All that was taken away because she would not make others unclean.  She would not put her burden on them.

And she could see no end to her condition.  She continued to bleed.  1 year.  2 years.  5 years.  12 years.  12 years unclean.  How could she stand anymore?  No more doctors to see anyway.  Not one doctor had given her even a glimmer of hope.  Her bleeding had gotten worse instead of better.  And now her money was gone.

SHE HEARD

Then she heard about a man called Jesus.  They said he could heal.  He could give sight to the blind.  He could drive out demons.  He could calm the storm.  He could raise people from the dead.

Could she believe what she heard?  Could he heal her?  Would he heal her?  I can see her ..

Pacing in a quiet home, alone with what she had heard, the bleeding woman said her thoughts aloud , “I will go to find Jesus.  I know I am not to be in a crowd, but I will not shout or cry out.  I will not draw attention to myself.  I will slowly work my way through the crowd.  If only I can get close enough….  If only I can touch his garment… If I can touch his clothes ……

PART TWO NEXT WEEK

THE BATTLE OF THE THERMOSTAT

Many, many moons ago, when I was younger, I would get cold.  I would say to my loving husband, “I am cold.  I am going to turn the thermostat up.”  At which point, my loving husband would say, “Go put on a sweater.”

I would, being the obedient wife that I am, go put on a sweater.

Now fast forward many, many moons and you will find a complete role reversal.  My dear, loving husband gets cold and says, “Can we please turn the thermostat up? It is so cold you could hang meat in here.”

And, being the obedient wife that I am, I tell him, “Go put on a sweater.  I will turn it back up when I am done working.”

For some reason, my body thermostat got stuck after gall bladder surgery.  I get hot!  When I am cleaning house, I get hot.  When I am working on a project, I get hot.  When I am doing laundry, I get hot.  When I get hot, I kick the air conditioner on high.

When I kick the AC on high, my dear, sweet hubby freezes.  When you see him sitting outside, in the 98-degree temperature, you can be sure he is trying to thaw out.

Are you thinking that maybe, just maybe I am exaggerating?  Let me think.  Still thinking.  Nope.  Not exaggerating.

But I have changed during these many, many moons.  I have learned a whole lot more than how to turn the thermostat down.

• I learned how to be a wife.  Okay, I am still working on that.
• I learned how to cook.  And, no I did not know how to cook when we got married.
• I learned how to change a baby’s diaper.  A cloth diaper that used large safety pins to attach the back to the front so it did not fall off and I cried more than once because I stuck the poor, innocent baby instead of the diaper.
• I learned how to move to a new community.  If you have never moved, you have no idea how hard it is to walk into a church for the first time.
• I learned how to read the Bible.  Actually, reading the Bible is a learning experience each time I open it.

I have learned a lot since I joined the group called “adult.”  For full disclosure, there are parts of childhood I have kept.  I love to blow bubbles.  I have an imagination.  I can still look at a cloud and see an animal.

BUT, as an adult, I have learned that other people are not perfect.  This revelation was a surprise, because I thought everyone had it together except me.  I cannot always have my way.  Sometimes it is better to order a pizza.  Babies will survive the occasional stick with a safety pin.  And no matter how many times I read the Bible; I will find passages that just do not make sense.

Over these many, many moons I have changed and I will keep changing.  I am not the Mary I was and I am not the Mary I will be. 

Oh my.  A new me.  This should be fun.

TRAVELING

I love to travel and recently spent a couple nights by myself prior to seeing my sisters.  When I get to a motel, the first thing I do is take the duvet out of the duvet cover.  Usually hubby helps me, but alone this is no easy task and I feel sorry for the staff that has to stuff the duvet in a cover.  Out it comes because there is no way I can sleep under anything that heavy.  Makes me feel like I am suffocating.  The next thing is to untuck the top sheet.  I hate the sheet tucked in.  How do I stick my feet out when the sheet has them trapped? After that I take half the pillows off the bed.  Does anyone really use that many pillows? Also, I check to make sure someone has not left the alarm set for 3:00 AM.  3:00 AM is way prior to my desire for coffee.

That accomplished, I can unpack what I need for the night.  Bathroom stuff in the bathroom.  Clothes for the next day laid out.  Then it is time to relax.  Jammies on, sitting in bed, a pillow behind my back, and the remote at hand.  I begin to scroll the channels.  How can there be that many channels and not one good thing to watch? Never fear.  I have a book to read and would rather read anyway.  I am ready for uninterrupted reading, which never happens at home, and I hear a herd of elephants coming down the hall.

“Please Lord, if you love me, do not have that family in the next room.”  Now, I love kids and they really do not bother me ….  but the book … uninterrupted reading … Kids running down the hall excitedly telling their parents they want to go swimming.  The parents telling them to stop running … what page was I on again?

Are you wondering where I am going with this?  As often happens, I have no idea.  I know that I love being on new backroads.  You know the roads where you have to get the magnifying glass out to see the road number … if it even has a number.  Bill does the driving on the roads I find and he swears I cannot find a straight road.  (That is on purpose.)  To be on these backroads, we have to leave town and, if we leave town, we have to stay in motels.  Over the years, we have been very fortunate and only a handful of motels have not been the best.  But, I realize what I have written is about motels and the point has nothing to do with motels.

The point has to do with the journey.  The journey has a beginning and an end.  And the journey begins with the first step.

Torah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Harlan.  Abram and Nahor both married.  The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai,

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.  Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.  He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.”

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.  Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.  No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”

Genesis parts of 11, 12, and 17

God does not tell each of us to “go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”  What God does tell us to do is take that first step onto the path He has designed specifically for each of us.  Your path may take you to far nations and another’s path may mean they are to stay in one location.  Your path may be to touch lives as a nurse or a teacher or a preacher.  Another’s path may be to lead by example as they work in a factory or drive a truck or farm.  BUT … YOU have to step onto your path.  God told Abram to go.  BUT Abram took action: he went.

Take the step onto God’s path.   You will never regret the journey’s ending.

 

JULY 5TH

We hold these truths …..  We the people of the United States …..

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

We celebrate our freedoms with parades, bands, cookouts, beer, and fireworks.  And on July 5th our lives go back to normal.  We drink the leftover beer.  We eat the leftover hotdogs.  We pick up the sparkler wires in the backyard.  We go back to work.  The sacrifices of others are forgotten, as we take our freedom for granted.

On July 5th through July 4th —- 365 days — I do not take even one of my freedoms for granted.  It is no longer “We hold these truths.”  It is no longer “We the people.”  The “prohibiting the free exercise (of religion) thereof” went out the window when churches were told to close because of Covid and they are now chastised when they take a stand for Biblical beliefs.  The “or abridging the freedom of speech” died when people were fired, blocked on social media, or have their children taken away when they refused to acknowledge anything other than male and female genders.  And it is obvious that no one is “abridging the freedom of the press” to slant the news as they see fit.  The word “peaceably” no longer applies to the assembly of the people.  Assembly can be violent and break laws without any consequences.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  —

WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

My first allegiance is to my God.  My second allegiance is to my family.  My third allegiance is to my country.  I believe in the United States of America and am so blessed to have been born in this country.  A country that mentions “their Creator” in their foundation documents.  BUT the country I believe in and support is quickly disappearing.

The USA is no longer “We hold these truths.” It is no longer “We the people.” The USA has become the country of a few forcing everyone to go along with their beliefs, demands, and delusions.  When we no longer have the freedom to disagree..  When a church can be told to close..  When a child says, “I am a cat.” and they are acknowledged as a cat..  When a man can appear naked because it is a parade..  When the words mother and father have lost their meaning..  And when a baby can be killed one breath away from being born..  the foundation and the values on which this country was founded no longer exist.

I WILL NOT forget the sacrifices made throughout the history of this country.  I WILL NOT forget that “WE THE PEOPLE” sacrificed to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” 

I WILL NOT take any of my freedoms for granted.  I WILL continue to speak out and I pray that others will begin to find their voice before it is too late.  And “too late” is right around the corner.