Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Touch the Hem

The phrase "touch the hem of His garment" has been going through my head on an almost continual basis. It is my first thought upon waking as well. So, Lord, what are you trying to teach me? Obviously it refers to the woman in the gospels with the issue of bleeding who touched the hem of His garment. But what does that have to do with me. She had this awful condition for 12 years and because of it was seen as unclean at all times. Can you imagine the loneliness! But she had determination and faith that day to press her way through that crowd just to touch His hem. What did she possess that I need to learn?

Do I believe in the power that Jesus possesses? Do I believe that He can heal? YES! I want to be close enough to Him to touch Him. When she touched Him...He knew it. So many others around Him had to be touching Him, yet when she did He knew it and said His power had gone out from Him. What was so special about her touch? So filled with desperation. Filled with faith. Filled with love and devotion. I wonder? I want to be made whole. And no I am not just talking about my physical healing and the deterioration of my marriage. I want to be whole and complete and content in Jesus alone.

I need to reach out and touch Him. Draw myself close enough. With determination I need to fight through what is holding me back and make my way to Him. Push away all that is getting in my way. People. Circumstances. Doubt. Sorrow. Fear. He is worth the fight to get to. HE is!! Oh to believe so strongly that if only I would draw close He will make me whole in ways I never even considered.

Lord, I know you're trying to show me something. Help me to fully understand what it means to touch the hem of your garment and then to cling to it. I don't want to touch it and go away, I want to cling. Grow up my faith, forgive my unbelief, give me the strength to fight through this battle. Thank you that you are waiting for me to reach out and touch, you aren't moving away from me to make it harder. You are in the same place knowing the gift you have for me if only I will reach out and touch the hem of your garment. What an amazing Savior your are!! I'm reaching out, Lord.




14 comments:

Kimberly said...

Sheryl,

How much I needed to be reminded of those words today you will never know! Thank you again for your honesty and for your friendship!

Love you bunches,
Kimberly

nancygrayce said...

Sheryl,

I don't think there is one of us, ONE, that doesn't need to be reminded to reach out for the hem of His garment! Our pastor once said from the pulpit, "I look out and I can see you, but I can't see into your hearts, but in a crowd this size I know there are hurting people." He then named as many possible reasons for hurt as you can imagine. In my own life, I have had to cling to Him....even then...I often went my own way. Even now I struggle and I think all honest people living in a fallen world will say they struggle too! I love your sweet heart! Nancy

Nicole said...

Love that song. I want to touch the hem of his garmet too. I could feel your heart while listening to this song. Blessings and wholeness to you, my friend!

Nicole

Kim in NC said...

Sheryl,

I am believing with you that God can heal!

Such great words from your heart.

I love - "To be whole and complete and content in Jesus alone." I think that is all He wants from any of us - to desire and seek only Him.

It's hard to remember that the valley is where all of the growth takes place, but I know one day you'll be able to be on the mountain top and looking back at where He has brought you from!

Blessing my friend!

Kim

~Amy~ said...

through the busyness of my life now that school and it's activities have started again I pray that I will not regress in the relationship that we(Jesus and I) are building..... I love that song. I too put that video on my blog a while back. It speaks volumes.

Unknown said...

Amen, sister!

We need to make the effort to be close to Him. I expect Him to do everything when His desire is that I make the effort to be with Him, close to Him.

I would make the effort for my husband, my daughter...why not my God.

Thank you so much for your post.

I can't wait to see what you share next.

Sheryl Dean (Just in case people think you are sending yourself a comment--hee hee)

Technonana said...

WoW, Wow... this is just beautiful... thank you Sweet Sheryl for this post...
If we could all just believe that just by touching His garment... we would INDEED be made whole!!!
Love you girl!!!
Sharon

Paula V said...

I'm speechless, Sheryl. Your heart is so true that I envy the words you have. I feel so filled up with junk that I can't muster words to say to God like you do. I feel at a loss as to what even to ask Him to do in me to build the belief, walk, faith and tear down the negative things and junk.

I feel like the bleeding lady is my favorite person in the Bible. I've referenced her so many times that I feel a certain kindredness with her. I want her faith and I want Jesus' favor and response like He had to her. I know He's healing and doing something great in me. I think that it's my focus or my attention or something that I'm blinded and can't see past what I think should be done and what I desire (even though holy and righteous may still not be His plan or timetable).

I love that she knew that she knew that she would be healed IF ONLY, if only she touched the hem of His garment. It was not only His power that healed her. Rather, He tells us "by your faith you are healed." She is one of the main inspirations of my recent post "Master's Touch, Our Faith". I think there's about seven or so specific quotes where Jesus said a person was healed, raised, restored, favored because of their faith alone.

I love Mark 9:24...I believe, help me with my unbelief.

Email me anytime. I miss talking to you privately and would love to share any details of your burdens via email.

Love ya.
Paula

Mindy said...

I can identify with the bleeding woman as well, in emotional ways. Throughout my life I have had various experiences that made me a bit of an outcast, and I think the Lord uses those situations, as well as illnesses and other troubles, to cause us to see that we need Him, to remind us that He is the one we must seek, through every crowd.

june said...

This is the scripture I feel led
to share with you.

Jer 17:7-8

Blessed is the man who trust in the lord; And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river,
And he will not fear when heat comes. (Heat represents darkness and wickedness. We are going to have the heat, but we don't have to have the fear. Why? Because God is with us and He is our protection.) But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought ("Not be anxious" means not to be worried or overly concerned, even though "drought" will come."
Nor cease from yielding fruit (No matter what the devil throws at us, he can't stop us. Now this does not mean that we are going to be free of problems just because we are Christians. We are in the world, and satan is the prince of this world. But if we are walking in the Word, we will be better protected, because God honors His Word.)
Father, I lift up my sister to you, believing that she is blessed and receiving from you the answer to all of her needs. She is drawing closer to you so close she can reach out and touch your clothes, with the full assurance that you feel her every need spoken and unspoken. Thank you that you have stoped what you were doing and your full attention is on your daughter.
Thank you Jesus, I feel your presence and power as I pray.

June

Jules (Sporty Mama) said...

Sheryl,

Your past several posts, I felt like you were saying what was in my own head. Thank you for saying it so beautifully. I always find comfort in knowing that when I don't know what to pray, how to pray, or if to pray, the Holy Spirit always intercedes with the words that I seem to be missing.

Julie Anna

Suzanne said...

I just love reading everything you write because I know that you are allowing Christ to speak through you and helping others in their suffering in the process. You are truly a woman after God's own heart.

Love ya friend!

Suzanne :)

Michelle said...

Sheryl ~ I honestly love coming to visit you. You write with such a transparent heart, completely open and honest about where you're at right at that moment - and it deeply touches my heart and reminds me how much we all need to come to Him in that same honest way.

Thanks again for visiting my blog and encouraging me, Sheryl. Life has been so difficult lately. Yes, you feel free to share...that's fine by me :)

Hope you enjoy a wonderful Saturday!

In Him...your friend,
Michelle

His Girl said...

I think you're getting it, girl. the best part? you're taking all of us with you on your journey.

how cool to not selfishly hide these lessons in your heart, but place them out here for us all to see.