"a flow of blood for twelve years"

I think I'm going to use this story for our discussion Sunday:

And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well."  And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it.

But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." (Mk 5.25-34)

I think the length of her suffering (and struggle to overcome it) is notable, and also Jesus asking her to step forward and confess her story and her healing, despite her reluctance. A good story for us here.

There are reasons that we might even cling to our suffering, and not reach out to accept the healing that is offered. Like the false comfort of seeing ourselves as victims, of whom little is expected. Or the pride of our long struggle with suffering. Maybe even our belief that we can overcome it eventually by our own will and efforts (like the woman with her many doctors). To accept healing means admitting that we are helpless, unable to get past our suffering by our own endurance or coping mechanisms, admitting that we have failed. It also means giving up all control of our situation, and accepting that much more is asked of us than just surviving our pain.

But accepting healing is also the only way to true abundant life.