this morning i read luke 8:42-48. i love what happened here. this lady who had some kind of bleeding problem for more than 12 years is in the crowd that is surrounding Jesus as he is trying to get to someone's house. there were so many people that Jesus was getting pushed against on all sides. i picture what a school of fish does as they travel, but with people instead. (but if they were fish, jesus would be sparkly silver and the rest would be a dull green-gray color.) anyway, He is on his way to heal a girl who had died and the woman in the crowd reaches in and touches the hem of his attire.

the hem.

instantly she is healed completely. he questions who touched him bc he felt the healing power leave him, everyone denies it like school children, and finally she falls before his feet and explains why she touched him. his response:

daughter, your faith as made you well. go in peace.

he wasn't looking to discipline, he wanted her to know it was ok and to show the crowd what really made her healed. her belief.

the way the crowd reacted when Christ questioned who touched and that they all denied is so true of me. i have an auto response that i'm getting in trouble. mostly set up from my father's way of discipline.

i don't have to be in that frame of mind with my Jesus. His coming to earth, praise God he did!, was to bring healing, to restore what was broken, to comfort the broken hearted, to bring hope. and when He does discipline, it is a gentle conviction--not the condemning voice we all hear. oh I hope He restores this broken mindset in me! He has more than enough healing power!