“The Hem of His Garment” by Guest Writer: Sandy Brannan

Have you ever had a baby or small child reach out to you? Those chubby little arms don’t quite span the distance well enough, so we adults have to close the gap in order to make contact. And we do. After all, there’s just nothing quite as inviting as a child reaching for you.

When a child shows the slightest interest in us, when that little face turns toward us, when we first make eye contact, most of us are already reaching out. When those tiny arms lift up toward us, most of us instinctively bend down and scoop that precious child up into our arms.

We’re waiting for them to want us, even if we’re not conscious of it. There’s just something about a child choosing to love you, wanting to spend time with you that instantly warms your heart.

I’m a mother and a grandmother, and nothing pleases me more than to have one of my own reach out to me. Whether it’s one of my children sending me a text, one of them pulling me into a hug, one of my grandchildren scooting closer to me when I read a book with them, or one of the many other ways they let me know they love me and need me, it touches my heart every single time. I’m always ready for it, always secretly waiting for it. And it’s something I carry with me long after we separate. There are many of these tiny moments that I’ve stored up in my heart over the years.

Sometimes, when I’m home and busy with something or another, my phone will make that sound that lets me know someone is reaching out to me. It’s almost always family, and I always drop whatever I’m doing to take advantage of this connection. Whatever meal I was cooking or chore I was doing suddenly seems unimportant. If I’m in the middle of watching a movie with my husband, I excitedly tell him to hit pause. If I’m writing, I lift my hands from the keys as I reach, as fast as I can, for my phone. In fact, my phone is never more than a few inches from me. I don’t want to miss the chance to connect with the ones I love. They simply mean that much to me.

I wait to hear from them. My momma heart is always on call, day and night. I would do anything for any of them. It’s just the way most parents are. There’s this invisible cord that connects us to our babies, a tether that cannot be severed. It’s a love that truly never ends no matter what.

But, as much as I love my family, God loves us all so much more. That’s hard for me to wrap my head around. My world pauses every single time one of them reaches out to me. It’s like I’ve been holding my breath and can suddenly breathe again. And God loves all of us infinitely more than that.

I think about how God is always there for me, always there for all of us. I think about how much He has to give to us, if we would only ask.

If my children or grandchildren needed anything, I would hope they would ask for my help. It would pain me deeply to know they suffered needlessly when all they had to do was reach out to me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them, even though my human limitations prevent me from being able to do everything.

But God has no limitations. At all. And He is literally just waiting for us to quiet everything around us and recognize what He has to offer.

He tells us in His Word:

Be still, and know that I am God … Psalm 46:10a KJV

His love for us is always right there, always waiting for us.

There’s an incredible story of love in the Bible. This woman had been suffering for a very long time. She had tried everything to find an answer. It’s easy to picture her, the way she went through this mental list of all the ways she might get much-needed relief. I can only imagine the emotional toil that accompanied the physical pain of her incredibly long battle. It’s hard to fathom suffering for twelve long years. How hopeless she must have felt. I wonder how many times she wanted to give up.

Then, one day, she made up her mind that there was one thing that could heal her. She determined in her heart that if she could just touch the hem of the garment Jesus was wearing, then she would be healed.

For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Matthew 9:21 KJV

She figured out that He already had what she needed. She finally understood that she just needed to reach out to Him, just needed to touch Him in the slightest way.

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. Matthew 9:22a KJV

Jesus had what she needed all along. She just needed to have faith to receive it. She only had to reach out.

I think about how willing I am to help my family, but I can’t help but realize how little that really is. In fact, I have almost nothing to give compared to what He gave that woman.

Then I remember who I am, Whose I am.

Jesus has given me so much. I have the Fruit of the Spirit which is mine to share with others. I have received unbelievable love from Him, love that’s now mine to give away.

I have tasted grace, felt the release only forgiveness can bring, experienced the comfort of being held in His arms. All of this was given to me freely; all of this was given to me so that I too would give it away.

sandy brannan

Yes, if my phone rings right now, and one of my babies is on the other end of the line in need, my world will stop. I will give everything I have to give. It’s impossible for me to not do this.

I wonder sometimes if any of them ever pick up the phone only to put it back down. I wonder if they needlessly hesitate to reach out to me, reluctant to ask for help. I hope not.

I wonder how many times I’ve failed to pray, failed to ask my Father for what only He can give me, failed to receive what was mine because I lacked the faith to reach out. I wonder how many times I went through a long list of ways I thought I could fix my own problems before finally understanding all I had to do was reach out to Jesus and ask for His help.

The Bible goes on to tell us:

And the woman was made whole from that hour. Matthew 9:22b KJV

 Imagine her rejoicing.

She was no longer suffering, no longer searching. She finally had the relief she had looked for everywhere, unable to find anywhere.

And all it took was one small step toward Jesus.

Sandy Brannan, author of Becoming Invisible, So Much Stays Hidden, Masquerade, and Frozen in Time, teaches middle and high school English. A regular contributing writer for Calla Press, she also writes for The Real Deal of Parenting and Her View From Home. Sandy’s idea of a perfect day is one spent creating memories with her grandchildren. This usually includes coloring and reading a lot of books. You can read more of her work on her blog at sandybrannan.com. Sandy is also active on social media at facebook.com/sandybrannanauthor and instagram.com/sandybrannanauthor. You can follow her on Amazon at amazon.com/author/sandybrannan.

We thank you, Sandy, for your contribution to this publication of Titus-two.com and sharing your wisdom, insight and love for women through the gift of words of encouragement.

You are loved to Heaven and Back, Sandy ~~

LindaRJohnson, TitusTwo Visionary