Reach Out and Touch

We took my horse to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this past week. It was pretty cool to show there! Since it was Spring Break, many people were strolling through the barn. Often, they stopped and asked about Daisy.

I will never forget one family. Daisy was standing in the aisle, and we were just getting ready to saddle her. We were busy getting her ready for a class, but I sensed this family was experiencing something special and needed time for them. They were excited about meeting Daisy but scared to touch her. I found out they were from Afghanistan and had never touched a horse. The woman wanted me to help her reach her hand and touch Daisy. The joy on her face when she did touch her! I’m not sure I’ll forget that moment.

Sometimes, touching something for the first time feels magical. I imagine when the women hemorrhaging most of her life touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, it was an amazing feeling. The story is told in Mark 5:21-34. It also appears in Matthew and Luke. A woman had been bleeding for 12 years, heard about Jesus, and believed that touching his robe would heal her. So, she came behind Jesus in a crowd and touched the fringe of his robe. Jesus immediately turned and said “Who touched me?” The woman was afraid, yet came forward and told Jesus it was her. Jesus said to her “Your faith has made you well.” The woman was healed immediately.

Jesus saw in this woman so much more than others saw. He saw her faith to reach out to Him even despite her unclean condition. It required strength and courage to reach out to Jesus. If someone recognized her as unclean, it would be all over! He knew the woman took a huge risk to get close enough to Him to experience healing. The woman was in a desperate situation. She must have been so lonely and tired of trying to find healing. She was determined to find healing. Jesus healed her and then called her daughter. She was no longer an outcast!

The woman was healed because of her faith. It was a risk. Sometimes, we need to trust enough and risk like the woman in the Bible. Take the risk. Reach out. Touch him. Trust Him.

Going back to the Afghan family. As a lover of horses, I hope this woman, after touching Daisy, might help her love horses, but all the animals she sees at the rodeo. Even more, I pray that each of us might reach out and touch Jesus. May we find the faith we need to reach out and touch the Lord so that we might find help where we need help and healing where we need healing. Jesus is willing.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.