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Cultivating a tribe: The woman with an issue

So I can remember my mom singing with a trio back in the day and the song started like this "A woman tried many physicians, but they could not help, so unto Jesus she came.  And when the crowd they tried to restrain her, she whispered these words through her pain.  Touching Jesus is all that really matters, than your life will never be the same.  There only one way to touch Him, just whisper these words through your pain."

Last week I talked about the women at the well, you know the one that really didn't care she was an outsider, whose life was a mess and yet when she met Jesus she was changed.  Well this week I want to talk to you about a women with an issue that she couldn't control.  A women that by her disease was made unclean and couldn't even go into the temple.  She risked everything for the hope of being healed.   You see when we look at a cultivating a tribe we need to look at the women with the issues.  I relate with this women probably more than I do with the women at the well. 

The women with the issue
 You see I was abused as a child sexually, verbally, and spiritually.  These were things that I didn't ask for, I didn't do anything to get them.  Yet they left a huge mark on my life, they were issues that separated me from Jesus, and from the call that God placed on my life.  Like the women with the issue of blood I was unclean.  I wanted to do what God called me to do, but no pastor would take me.  No one would accept me where I was and love me enough to work through where God was taking me.  I was told due to my past and personality I would never be able to submit to a pastor.  I was overlooked for promotion in the church due to my issues.  I worked hard, I was passionate, I gave everything I had: Money, time, energy, love, excitement, and although they took my resources they didn't accept me.  The women with the issue of blood gave her money to men who were skilled healers, and yet they couldn't heal her.  She tried everything in her power to get better and all it did was left her poorer and still with the issue, still unable to get healing.  I would cry just wanting someone to believe in me, because if someone could believe in me, then I somehow could have hope that this issue would not define me.  
   
The women pressed in 
   I didn't find healing by men.  The rejection I felt was real, raw, and it forced me to press in to my Savior.  I was unwanted, excluded, manipulated, considered unclean.   Yes, I had an issue, yes I was emotionally bleeding, but I decided I would keep moving forward towards Jesus.  It said in the scripture their was a crowd, and she I am sure had to push her way to him.  She had to go outside of her comfort zone, she had nothing left to loose and I am sure she was desperate to just be healed.  Ladies, I can tell you as a women with the issue, I just was desperate to be healed.  "You are accepted here, you are loved here, we believe in you."  these are words I longed to hear and I didn't hear them from man but my bible I heard God whisper "I believe in you."  From my husband who would hold me as I would cry I heard "I believe in you."  From my children I heard "Mommy is a preacher."  So I pressed into Jesus and allowed him to heal me.  

The women touched Jesus 
I heard from others "We see potential, but we just don't trust you."  but I heard from Jesus "Daughter."  I read the book Unashamed and God did a word through a women who doesn't even know me.   I read the book and God allowed me to let go of the hurt, the disappointment and the shame, and what I went through.   for who I was and what I went through.  I touched Jesus and Jesus healed me, and he is still healing me and making me whole. I am so blessed because I am surrounded by women who believe in me, who celebrate with me, and who don't define me by my issue.  You see the issue was meant to separated her from intimacy in God but what it did was caused her to press in.  

We need to be women who embrace women with issues
You see we spend a whole lot of time as women pointing out others women issues, when we should be leading women with the issues to the savior.  We should be helping hold them up as they press in to Jesus, we should be cheering them on and making a space for them to press into Jesus.  Telling them "Don't quit, Keep moving."  We should be the voices refuting the lies not agreeing with them.  Yes they are a hot mess, but who they are does not EVER trump whose they are.  We rob ourselves of being a part of their story when we choose not to embrace the women with issues.  

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