It's Time to Stop the Bleeding

Life hurts.  At least sometimes.  Anybody who tells you life is always wonderful or great is lying to you.  The Bible says that the sun shines on the good and the bad.  Which means the rain pours on both at times too.  At some point in your life you become the solitary person standing under the rain cloud while life dumps on you.

I've been there.  I know the feeling.  When we thought our baby boy was deaf... only to learn he could hear just fine.  He simply didn't care that we were banging pots inches from his head.  We'd later learn he had classic or severe autism.  At about nearly four the fights would begin.  I remember being in the room when our youngest was born and the Dr. called in the Neo-Natal crash team.  That was a scary few minutes.  And I remember just last year when the Dr. told us he had O.C.D., among other things.  When you get bad news, over and over, it feels like you're bleeding out.  Slowly the life-blood is leaving your body.  And without that blood you can't function.  You get weaker not stronger.  You lose interest in life.  And soon what you have isn't a life - it's just survival.

There's a story in Luke 8 about a woman in this very situation.  Literally.  She was bleeding out and no one could stop it.  Most agree she probably suffered from a menstrual cycle that never stopped.  She was at best anemic but probably suffered from low blood pressure and low blood sugar as well.  And besides the incredible physical toll this took on her body there was an even bigger spiritual toll.  As a Jew who was constantly bleeding she was in a continual state of uncleanness.  She would have been cut off from her people, from worship, from society.  In fact, her very presence that day in the midst of the crowd could have gotten her killed.  If others recognized her... well, every person she touched was now ceremonially unclean.

And it's not like she hadn't tried to better her situation.  She wasn't sitting around waiting for some miracle.  No, she had used every last penny she had seeing one doctor after another who promised a cure but delivered disappointment.

Until the day she risked her life and her illness to find hope and healing.  She pushed through the crowd with one thought, just touch his jacket and you'll be cured.  She barely had the energy to make her way through the crowd.  Several times she thought she would miss Him as she had to stop and catch her breath.  She expended every last ounce of energy to get close enough to touch Him.  But as soon as she did the bleeding stopped.  She knew it.  She could feel it.  It was all she could do to keep from screaming out in happiness but in the middle of the crowd - she was still too tired and scared to be discovered.  She may have been healed but that didn't take away the stains the blood and illness had left - that was enough to make her and everyone around her unclean, unworthy.  But the bleeding had stopped.  Energy would return.  Focus and strength would soon follow.  She was going to experience life like she had only dreamed she would.

What are you bleeding from?  Abuse?  Those who were supposed to love you treated you like dirt until you began to believe that's all you were.  Someone took your innocence, or you gave it away and the guilt and pain you carry just acts like an open wound that won't close.  Your spouse left.  Said they never really loved you.  Your child is sick and not getting better.  You lost your job and can't find another one.  Your car keeps breaking down and you can't afford the mechanic.  Every one a cut that takes a little more out of you.

It's time to stop the bleeding.  It's time to realize that the only thing you're truly risking is the life you so desperately want.  There's a man named Jesus who can stop the bleeding.  Can heal the wound and give you hope and life.  And more than that, He wants to!  He wants to help you but He won't force you.  Are you willing to risk the life you have for real life through Him?

Send us a message here at Real Life and we'll get you information on how to stop the bleeding and begin to experience real life.