A Thousand Small Steps

In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. Jesus said, “Who touched me?” Luke 8:43-45, MSG

A SMALL BAND of beautiful women had gathered for a retreat and asked me to speak. Driving the two hours from my house early that morning, watching the sunrise as I came into Cleveland, and praying for God to move in their hearts, I felt ready.

But what I wasn’t ready for was one woman’s humble introduction to me. She came in the door damp from the morning rain and registered for the event. I was behind my book table (where I hide when I’m feeling uncomfortable or nervous before a speaking event) casually greeting guests. But cool and casual was about to disappear. This woman came right over to me, held out her hand, and with a proud smile said, “Hi. I’m Sarah, and today I’m sixteen weeks sober.”

Yes. You. Are. Girl.

I reached out and shook her hand with likely too much vigor, but I couldn’t help it. This was one of the best introductions I’d heard in years. Her story in a sentence. She was unashamed. She was clearly resilient. And she showed up.

She explained how her daughter was in the foster care system, the dad was nowhere to be found, and she hoped to be reunited with her daughter soon. She had been sober before, but this time she got it. It had been a long and dirty fight, and she was glad to be here—at this church and here in her story.

I told her I’d just step aside and she could teach instead of me. She certainly had learned much and persevered beautifully. Not perfectly of course, but resiliently. She laughed, declined, and went through the doors to find her seat.

I couldn’t help but be reminded in this moment of the woman in the Bible who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years. She had suffered year after year with treatments that only made her condition worse. But this woman had heard of Jesus and how he’d brought hope and healing to many. She knew if she could just muster the courage to bravely reach out and touch his robe as he passed by in a crowd, she would find the healing, hope, and help she longed for. And she did! The moment she grazed her fingers along the hem of his robe, her bleeding stopped. Her years of suffering were over. A new life had begun for her. Her trust in God had made her well.

Of course, it wasn’t just one amazing silver-bullet step for either my new friend Sarah or the woman in the story. It was a thousand daily steps, a million small choices, that added up to healing. That added up to Sarah’s sixteenth week sober.

Friend, grace looks like one step at a time. It looks like perseverance in the middle of pushback. Grace looks like sixteen weeks sober.

GRACE REFLECTION: Pray with me, “God thank You for the small steps that add up to coming to You. Thank You that even just one step, the pivotal step that turns me around, is the most precious. Thank You that You are so very ready to have me come to You, touch You, be with You. Amen.”