Jesus Reached Out His Hand and Touched Him

The power of touch.

The value of touch.

The human need to be touched.

Some folks are touch-me-nots. They are the ones who are known to use phrases such as "personal space" or "my bubble." Other folks are handsy. It seems they hug everyone they see, they can't have a conversation without grabbing an arm, touching a shoulder. And then there are people who fall anywhere in between.

A man with a serious skin disease came to Jesus.

A serious skin disease.

Most people recoil when we see someone with physical issues we don't understand ... we move to the other side of the room or a different checkout line in the grocery store. We stare. We avoid eye contact. We hurry our children away in fear of catching something.

This man came to Jesus, on his knees, begging. "If You are willing, You can make me clean."

Jesus--all you have to do is want to and you can make me right...you can fix me. You can give me life again.

This man had leprosy. If anyone came near him he was required to yell, "Unclean! Unclean!" as a warning. Understand, people with leprosy were sent away. They could no longer live with others. Family members could see them, but only from a distance.

If I had leprosy, my children would bring me food, but they would have to place it on the ground and move far away before I could pick it up.

I could no longer kiss away her tears, stroke his hair as he slept, give hugs good-bye or be close enough to whisper "I love you."

This man had leprosy. We don't know how long it had been since someone touched him.

And in his desperation he came to Jesus, begging "If you're willing..."

And moved with compassion,  Jesus reached out His hand and TOUCHED HIM.

"I am willing," Jesus told him. "Be made clean."

Immediately the disease left him.

Jesus restored this man. He woke up that morning in desperation and in a moment--Jesus reached out His hand and touched him--healing pushed desperation into the past.

I am reminded of the day I cried out --"Lord if You're willing" and He healed my sin sickness. He reached out and touched my soul and my guilt left me. I am also reminded of countless times since that day I have cried out "Lord if You're willing." He heals my broken heart. He gives me hope when the day is dark. He restores joy when circumstances threaten to steal it away. When I am backed in a corner and see no good thing coming from what is happening in life, He whispers "I am willing."

 My Jesus--the same yesterday, today and forever.

Call out to Him. He is willing.

It's Never About the Pizza

A dear friend and I sat one afternoon and talked the hours away. During our conversation, she told a story of being angry with her husband.  He ate the last piece of pizza. Not just any pizza. Her carefully saved and looked-forward-to-eating gluten-free pizza.

And he ate it.

The last slice.

However, as the talk went further, we discovered she had been dealing with added stress in life. Pressure had built within and the pizza ... well ... BOOM!

The chat ended with a saying we still use. "It's Never About the Pizza."

Realizing it's never about the pizza is highly useful on two fronts.

First, in you. Recognize this is most likely true in your life as well. We let little and big disappointments, aggravations, failures, betrayals, misunderstandings ... the list goes on ... build up unreconciled and then it happens. The dog chews up your favorite pair of shoes. Your son loses the hammer. A stranger cuts you off in traffic.

Someone eats your pizza and BOOM.

It's useful to keep the pizza principle in mind as you encounter others who are not having such a great day.

You know what I mean. You ask people all the time "How are you?" and almost everyone says fine. Then there's that one who stops and gives you waaaaay TMI about the infected splinter he removed this morning or she describes in full detail the stomach virus she suffered two days ago. You listen with eyes glazed over and your brain transmits I-can't-believe-I'm-hearing-this.

It could be you are late for an appointment and apologize all over yourself but get an earful instead of forgiveness.

Those co-workers, store clerks, and total strangers live with stress too. You and I don't know what's going on in the back corners of their hearts and minds. But you accidently eat the pizza and BOOM.

It isn't God's will for us to survive under a veil of anxiety and worry. It is not His will for us to tread water in hopes of the demands on us will ease before we ... well ... go BOOM.

I challenge you to do a word/passage study on the word trust. I love Isaiah 26:3, You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

In response to God's provision, grace, and love we can:

Be kind.

Be patient.

Be unassuming.

Be nonjudgmental.

And remember,

It's never about the pizza.