“In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, ‘Who touched me?’” Luke 8:43-45a (MSG)

A small band of beautiful women had gathered for a retreat. After driving the two hours from my house early that morning, watching the sun rise as I came into town and praying for God to move in their hearts, I felt ready.

But what I wasn’t ready for was one woman’s humble introduction to me. She walked through the door, damp from the morning rain, and registered for the event. Suddenly, cool and casual was about to disappear. This woman came right over to me, held out her hand, and with a proud smile said, “Hi. I’m Sarah, and today I’m 16 weeks sober.”

Yes. You. Are. Girl.

I reached out and shook her hand with likely too much vigor, but I couldn’t help it. This was one of the best introductions I’d heard in years. Her story in a sentence. She was unashamed. She was clearly resilient. And she showed up.

She explained how her daughter was in the foster care system, the dad was nowhere to be found, and she hoped to be reunited with her daughter soon. She had been sober before, but this time she got it. It had been a long and dirty fight, and she was glad to be here — at this church and here in her story.

I told her I’d just step aside, and she could teach instead of me. She certainly had learned much and persevered beautifully. Not perfectly, of course, but resiliently. She laughed, declined and went to find her seat.

I couldn’t help but be reminded in this moment of the woman in the Bible who’d been hemorrhaging for 12 years.

Luke 8:43-45a tells us that “In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, ‘Who touched me?’”

This woman had suffered year after year with treatments that only made her condition worse. But she had heard of Jesus and how He’d brought hope and healing to many. She knew if she could just muster the courage to bravely reach out and touch His robe as He passed by in a crowd, she would find the healing, hope and help she longed for. And she did! The moment she grazed her fingers along the hem of His robe, her bleeding stopped. Her years of suffering were over. A new life had begun for her. Her trust in God had made her well.

Of course, it wasn’t just one amazing silver-bullet step for either my new friend Sarah or the woman in the story. It was a thousand daily steps — a million small choices — that added up to healing. That added up to Sarah’s 16th week sober.

Friend, grace looks like one step at a time. It looks like perseverance in the middle of pushback. Grace looks like 16 weeks sober.

Dear God, I thank You for the small steps that add up to coming to You. Thank You that even just one step, the pivotal step that turns me around, is the most precious. Thank You for being so very ready to have me come to You, touch You, be with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Isaiah 40:28-31, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (ESV)

RELATED RESOURCES

What if today is the perfect time to notice God’s grace in one another? So often, women are weighed down by comparison, anxiety and fear that the idea that grace could look amazing on them feels unbelievable. But all around us are flashes of grace, shining examples of God’s love. A perfect gift to affirm and encourage any woman, Grace Looks Amazing on You: 100 Days of Reflecting on God’s Love is a timeless Christian message packed with personal story and reflection, Scripture and deep biblical truth. This 100-day devotional will help you change your perspective so you can confidently radiate the grace of Christ.

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REFLECT AND RESPOND

When was a time in your life you felt as though you were on your last leg, but you decided to take one step closer to God, and He met you there with His grace? Share your story with us in the comments!

© 2020 by Amy Seiffert. All rights reserved.

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