She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well."

Healing happens in many different ways. This woman had been bleeding for twelve years. She was probably a social outcast, unemployed and unable to have children. Her pain was very physical, the blood a reminder of her hurt and pain. She had spent all her money trying to find a doctor who could help her, but no relief came. It seemed the world had given up on her.

Sometimes we're willing to trying anything when we feel desperate. She had heard about Jesus and was willing to take a risk in approaching him. The woman's hemorrhage made her untouchable, but she ran into the crowd to connect with Jesus, hoping that his power and compassion could make her well.

She ran into the crowd on faith. She was out of money and connections, so bold desperation was her last hope. Her healing was swift and physical. Sometimes healing is gradual and emotional or quiet and relational. Grief and pain can separate us from God and the people we love, but it is never too late to reach out for someone's touch and compassion. Surrounding yourself with people who love and care for you can help you grieve in healthy ways. The healing touch of Jesus can come from prayer or reading stories of healing in the bible.

Jesus knows your pain - he came to earth to share our emotions and experiences more fully. May this woman remind you that you are not alone and that healing and hope are a part of your future.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." - Jeremiah 1:5

Jeremiah is wondering why God wants him to be a prophet. God wants Jeremiah to know that even before Jeremiah was conceived, God knew him and loved him.

These words can be of some comfort to a mother grieving the loss of a pregnancy. You might feel as if you were the only one who ever knew and will ever know your unborn child. These thoughts can be extremely lonely and sad.

Here in Jeremiah, God tells all of us that we were known by heaven long before our conception or birth. Whether or not we breathe on this earth, we are part of God's plan and loved by God. When tragedy strikes, it can seem as though God decides to take something away from us, but pain and loss are never God's intentions for this world.

When life was created, God knew that free will and the presence of evil would challenge every happiness and perfection in mysterious ways. God knew we would want to shake our fists at heaven and demand an explanation or apology when life is unfair.

If it feels like God is silent, perhaps He is silent because He is listening and waiting to receive everything you will unload onto him. Cast your burdens, shake your fists and cry your tears. God wants to take your pain and to grieve with you. God knows better than anyone that death and pain can leave us feeling broken.

By inviting God to weep and mourn with you, He can begin to mold the aftermath of sadness and loss into a hopeful future. This is what God does best.

Remember that God knows and loves your baby too, and trusting that means you are never really alone.