Mark 5:21-43 tells the story of two people being healed. One a young girl and the other a woman who suffered an illness for many years.

As I reflected on the passage, this question was given: who in the stories do you most identify with- the dad, the girl, the woman, or the disciples?

The next step in the reflection is to apply those thoughts and the passage in my own life.

The final step is to pray about it.

The prayer I wrote is what I am really reflecting on now…

Both Jairus, the dad of a dying girl, and the unnamed “woman” -who suffered a chronic illness that left her “unclean” so therefore isolated for many years- did whatever they could to get to Jesus because they believed He could and would help them.

Jairus was ridiculed by his “friends” that he would bring “some man” to heal his already dead daughter….they laughed at him daring to make a request…to take a chance that a miracle could happen.

The woman was in a large crowd…a place she was probably not welcome to be because to touch her would make others unclean…

Yet, there she was…shoulder to shoulder with everyone else to see this Jesus.

She took things one step further…something in her stirred as she was in that crowd. There was something so POWERFUL telling her, prompting her, to push forward and touch the hem of Christ’s coat and that it will be enough to be healed.

So she pushed forward in faith.

Both of these people, and their faith, have me chewing on something rather humbling…

They believed that being in the presence of Christ was enough to heal their needs…

They decided to do whatever it took to be in His presence then….

They risked their reputations, their personal safety, the possibility of failure and rejection was hovering over both of them…But they pushed through anyway.

Was it because they were absolutely, brought to their knees, they had nothing to lose desperate?

Do I have that kind of faith?

Sometimes, I feel like the disciples that were present with Jesus on that same day: they walked and lived with Jesus. They personally knew Him.

But they questioned what was happening the entire time…

Is that what I do?

My prayer was that I did not want to be brought to my knees kind of desperate (the mere thought is terrifying- isn’t it??) But I do want to be desperate to be in the presence of Christ so I do not miss what He is doing…

I don’t want to doubt…or to be afraid…or to limit the works of His hands….

I want to push through with boldness to touch the hem of His coat….

I want to go get Him and bring Him to my place of need- no matter what the reaction of others around me may be.

I want to be desperate for Him.