Have you ever reached a point in your life where you felt like you had exhausted every option, and all you had left was your faith?

In Mark 5:25–34, we encounter a woman who had suffered for twelve years with an issue of blood. She had endured physical suffering, spent all she had seeking a cure, and yet her condition continued. But when she heard about Jesus, something stirred within her. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be made whole.

As I reflected on her story, I began to imagine what those twelve years might have felt like—the disappointment, the isolation, the burden, and the desperation to be healed. What must it have taken for her to press through a crowd, believing that one touch could change everything?

This inspired my poem, The Touch.

Through this poetic retelling, I invite you to step into her experience and reflect on the kind of faith that moves us to reach for Jesus even when life has left us weary.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where we cannot see a way out. We have tried everything we know to do, and our circumstances seem impossible. Yet her story reminds us that our circumstances do not have to have the final word.

May this poem encourage you to keep reaching for Jesus, trust Him in the midst of your struggles, and remember that even in your most difficult moments, you can bring your burdens to Him.

As you read, ask yourself: What would it look like for me to step out in bold faith and reach for Jesus today?

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The Touch

Imagine grappling with an untreatable affliction that has left you disillusioned, burdened by debt, and feeling tainted.

No one offers a glimmer of hope or a solution to your despair.

The weight of this sickness pushes you further into seclusion, a lonely outcast.

But then, whispers of a miracle worker reach your ears.

Stories of a man who restores sight to the blind, revives the dead, banishes evil spirits, and heals the sick flood your mind.

The news spreads that He is coming to your town, and in your desperation, with nothing left to lose, you decide to step out in bold faith.

Joining the crowds of people who are unaware of your secret shame, your invisible affliction that has isolated you, you believe that a mere touch from Him could transform your life.

So you press your way through the crowd, determined to reach Him, believing that one touch of the hem of His garment will make you well.

The moment you touch the hem of His garment, a feeling of wholeness rushes through your body. You know you have been healed.

But then He stops and asks, “Who touched Me?”

Your heart pounds as you realize you can no longer remain hidden. You step forward, knowing you must confess what you have done.

And as you stand before Him, He looks at you and says,

“Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

As His words fall upon your ears,
you begin to release twelve years of shame,
twelve years of debt,
twelve years of isolation.

No longer defined by your affliction,
no longer hiding in the shadows,
you can finally breathe again.

You came seeking healing,
but you leave having encountered His grace.

You have been made whole,
and now your heart burns with a new desire—
to tell the world of His goodness,
to testify of His mercy,
and to share the power of the One
who changed your life with a touch.

“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”

— Mark 5:34 (KJV)