Found this in my drafts from April 2020…
- Before the Tornado hit Tennessee and city officials asked us to stay home to allow for clean up, etc.
- Before actual Quarantine.
- Before ‘Safer at Home.’
These are the notes I had in the draft to remind me of what I planned to discuss:
Luke 8 40-54
What if we let him have it before we spent our life’s savings on every thing else?
Chronic condition. : tired of hearing : isolation
Can you imagine for 12 years being ‘quarantined’ Bc of your period? Wow.
Truths we can take from this passage.
Maybe God’s timing is better than mine…maybe this will be more relatable now…maybe it will help you, the reader, to understand quaratine, loss, and chronic health conditions a little more. So, let’s dig in…one note at a time…I have focused only on the first 8 verses from the passage for this post…verses 40-48.
40Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
LUKE 8:40-48
Bible.com ESV
What if we let Him have it before we spent our life’s savings on every thing else?
Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, was a physician, so naturally, there are many scientific references in his writings. This unnamed woman spent her life’s savings on physicians trying to cure this chronic condition. And she was brave enough to step out into the crowd and put ever ounce of faith she had in this Healer. This Savior. She simply touched the fringe of His garment.
Now, before this time, Jesus wasn’t available to her. Had she trusted God? Probably, else it’s unlikely she would have sought out Jesus. The passage calls her condition a ‘discharge of blood.’ Is it menstral? I’m not sure, but the way it’s worded sounds as if it is. Let’s assume so, for the sake of this conversation. Under Old Testament Law, a woman was considered unclean during menstration, and for 7 days after. Again making assumptions, this woman lived in isolation for TWELVE YEARS because she was ‘unclean’. Now, though I think many women (myself included) probably wouldn’t mind being isolated for a few days each month…because, you know…that means rest, and peace and quiet. But twelve years?
What is that you need or want so badly to ‘fix’, or have cured, or to solve?
For me, it’s Fibromyalgia and a whole host of other things – some related, some not. I learned very quickly on this journey that there is no ‘cure all’ or ‘one size fits all’ approach to treating Fibromyalgia, as is very true for many conditions. I also knew going in that I couldn’t deal with it myself. I had to give the pain, the frustration, the multitude of symptoms and varying ways they impact my life to God. That didn’t mean that I didn’t research, and learn. In fact, I spent HOURS reading, discussing, learning, and figuring out what works best for my family and me. It’s not as if God’s just going to deliver the things I need literally to my doorstep…I had to actively seek out those things, whether they are physicians, supplements, routines, information, medications, people…and yet, still…some of them do seem to ‘appear’ miraculously at just the right moment. Maybe when I would be receptive to it. Maybe when my body and spirit were ready for it. Maybe when I needed it most.
What is that thing for you? Is it a relationship, a work situation, a medical condition, a loss? Whatever it is, sweet reader, I assure God will carry through the days you just came seem to bear it any longer. You just have to let Him.
The Realities of Chronic Conditions and Painful Situations can be exhausting.
When we are struggling or suffering, it can absolutely overtake our every thought and quickly steal our joy. We don’t have to give in to that.
Do you have the tendency, as I do, to just keep certain things to yourself because you get so tired of well-meaning advice from friends and family? Or feeling like you are trying so hard to make your loved ones understand what you are going through, only for that to fall on deaf or unsympathetic ears? Just the frustration and amount of energy it takes to have those conversations, often to be disappointed or let down…because we put our trust in mere humans…can often be enough to shut us down inside. And cause us to withdraw from the world, which of course is not where we need to be.
This self-imposed isolation can lead to, or worsen, depression. Friend, if you haven’t been down that path, I urge to avoid it. So how do we deal with this? How do we handle it? How we keep moving forward?
We Pray. We give it to God.
- Before we even take that first breath of the day.
- Before our feet hit the floor.
- Before we have that first blessed drip of coffee.
- Before we send that text.
- Before we READ the text that came in.
- Before we have that conversation. (and while we are having it!)
- Before we face our families for the day.
- Before we do our work.
- Before we go home for the day.
- Before we prepare a meal.
- Before we eat a meal.
- Before we put our heads on the pillow.
- Before we dirft off to sleep.
Are you with me? Pray. Let it go. It doesn’t have to be a long prayer. Sometimes it can be as simple as ‘Hey, God…’. And that’s it. He knows the rest. Lately, when I’m facing a situation that might be dicey, and I anticipate a negative outcome, I take a deep breath, look up, smile and say…’but, GOD’. Because I KNOW, with every ounce of being, that God will handle it an d make it ok, make it bearable, make it an outcome that I can handle, and that, most importantly, will be for HIS GLORY – not mine.
A Twelve Year Quarantine.
It’s funny that I didn’t end up writing this post in April. Isn’t that God for you? Just a short time later, we all got a VERY real picture of what Quarantine actually is. This woman spent twelve years in seclusion. Whether that was actually a full blown quarantine or not, I just don’t really know. Maybe I just needed to revisit this passage right now.
My state (TN) and County are currently in the ‘RED ZONE’, which happens with this scenario: ‘during the last week reported, both new cases at or above 101 cases per 100,000 and lab test positivity result at or above 10.1%’. That means, for my family, we are staying home and not having guests as much as possible. My husband is going to work, and he’s handling any errands, etc, or things that we can do via pick up or delivery. My son is also attending basketball practice with his Freshman team, which is a small number of players. There are no games at the moment. Those will start back after the first of the year, with many restrictions and some schools rescheduling or cancelling altogether. On the positive side, we are seeing a downward trend to our charts and curves. Still, we will remain diligent as our children are due to go back to school next week. We also recently lost my father in law to Covid-19 and, literally as I type this post, my husband and his siblings are driving to the hospital to say goodbye to his mother as she is losing her battle with this unrelenting virus. Because of this, and the desire to keep the rest of family safe, and be able to be together for mourning and funeral arrangements, our resolve to say ‘no’ to visits and get togethers is all the more important. This means that we are really getting a good taste of what it means to be isolated.
What we have now, though, that wasn’t avaible in Bible times, are telephones, video chats, social media, etc… those these things help, and keep us connected to those we love (sometimes a little TOO connected?), they simply don’t replace human interaction and contact. Many live alone. And don’t have the benefit of immediate family or other household members, and I know this is a serious struggle for those individuals. On the flip side, my teenager has admitted to having moments where he basically wants to be with anyone but us for a little while.😂 I completely understand the sentiment. He’s an amazing young man, and I couldn’t ask for a better teen to spend this season of life with…but, I also recognize his need to socialize with his friends, and be around other young men his age.
What are you doing to make this season bearable? I hope that you are taking advantage of spending more time in the Word and more time in Prayer. And more actual QUALITY time with other members of your household. Turn of the phones, video games, and televisions for a bit. Just unplug. Go outside as OFTEN as you can, even if that’s just out to a balcony or stoop.
Truths we can take from this passage
Our pastor preached on this passage back in September of 2019 (yep, that’s how I roll with my journaling and blogging…always behind, always circling back). Here is the sermon, if you’d like to hear more, and here are the 2 truths he shared that we can take from the piece of the passage that I have discussed above.
Truth 1: Jesus Heals the Spiritually Sick. He will RUIN the local economy to save one man.
Wow. That one sits a little different with me now. Are you that one person? Is someone you know? I’m not suggesting that this pandemic was created to save someone. I hope that what you read here, is that God will let the consequences of our own human nature and sin play out, and use those circumstances for His Glory. We may not see it now. We may never see it in our lifetime, but everything will come out in the wash…and God will find a way to use it for our Good and His Glory.
Truth 2: Jesus Heals the Chronically Sick.
Someone reading right now is angry. Someone reading this is probably resisting the urge to throw whatever device they’re reading on across the room. Because you don’t believe that. Because you don’t see that. Friend, I know. I see your hurting. I feel your pain. I have lived through much of it myslef, not all of it. And maybe not the same. I’m also one of those people that sort of absorbs everyone else’s hurt. It can be fatiguing, and right now I am feeling the full brunt of so much pain. This doesn’t mean that every single person who is ill or suffering will be healed. This means that we have to faith that HE CAN DO IT. It means that we have to trust his idea of healing may not always be the same as ours. We see from Jesus’ death on the Cross that physical death is not important to him.
God’s Love is NOT reckless. God’s love is strategic and purposeful. It is real, and and it is Forever.
My Father in Law has been dealing with so many health issues for the past couple of years. When he contracted this virus, we all knew the likely outcome. It hurts. And it’s such a tragic loss for us. His body, though, is now HEALED and restored to the Glory that God intends for all of us. He was greeted at the gates of Heaven by his nephew, his parents, his siblings, and so many other lives that he has impacted. We will miss him tremendously…and we will honor his memory, and mourn his passing. We also celebrate his life, and the impact that he had on all of us. He will also be greeting his beatuiful bride, possibly today…but maybe later this week. This loss, we weren’t quite prepared for. And it sting a little deeper. My consolation for the loss of the best mother in law a woman could wish for, the sweetest grandmother I could ever imagine for my children, is that her body will rest. Her mind will rest. She doesn’t have to awaken to the memory of the too recent loss of her husband , lying alone in an unfamiliar hospital room – her only human interaction the care takers, nurses, and physicians dressed in, basically, Hazmat Suits. For the last week or so, as they tried to ween her of the ventilator, my mind has prayer, ‘Dear Lord, heal her mind and body. Do what you can to comfort her and protect her from this fresh Hell.’ And, maybe just maybe, He knows more than we do of what she can bear on this earth.
I want to assure you, that whatever you are feeling now…it’s ok to feel that. Just know, that God will carry you and ease your pain. You may never fully understand, and that has to be ok. You have to be ok with that. Just know that you are not alone.
You are not too far gone for Jesus. You never will be. Put Jesus on the Throne.
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Bible.com ESV
Read more posts from the Book of Luke HERE.
