Suffering

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes I will be healed.’” Mark 5:27-28

Our first house in Baltimore was an end of row, two story row house. We had two small daughters and bought the house at a very inexpensive price because it had some challenges. The previous owners had decorated the house in the same colors and tiling as their Chinese restaurant. The walls were turquoise and the whole downstairs and steps were covered in red and white linoleum tile. We spent weeks and weeks ripping up the tile only to uncover a beautiful hardwood floor, which needed some repair but which was for us a treasure. The walls were another thing entirely. We painted over the turquoise in a nice off white, only to have it the turquoise bleed through, layer after layer. I went from store to store asking for advice and trying all the tricks people recommended. Nothing worked. I was so frustrated and the place looked horrible. Streaky and scary. I was desperate to find a solution. A theater friend suggested I paint over the walls with silver as an undercoat and then try the off white again. It worked! I was beside myself with happiness. Elation beyond reason and all over a nasty paint problem. I felt finally my suffering has ceased.

This woman comes to find Jesus and she is truly desperate. Everyone has given up on her. She has become a nuisance to her family, her doctors, even to herself. She has spent all the money she had. She is in constant pain, torn apart and spent. She has used up all her chances of happiness and her life is only suffering. Into the worst circumstances, Jesus comes and offers her healing and an end to suffering. Once she was completely bound by pain and now she is free.

Today, I want to remember to reach out to Jesus for all of the needs in my life. I spend a great deal of time trying to find solutions to pains and problems – often all on my own. Today, I want to live reaching out to Jesus for everything, not trying to be self sufficient but rather completely dependent. I pray that my dependency might bring an end to suffering for others.