Hello Gardners! Welcome to June! I am excited to continue our dive into our identity through Christ. There is a story I want to talk about, one I am sure you are familiar with. Follow me.

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You Were Made for More.

This is where we left off at the end of Part I. Accepting that we are all made for more than whatever we have decided to label ourselves as. When I started researching for this series, I asked myself, “What do you want to accomplish with this? What do you plan to learn?” I decided to focus on people in the Bible and how their identities were changed once they submitted themselves—wholeheartedly to Christ. So, not much about me but what I can learn from these brave souls.

As a child, I had several dreams and aspirations. There were so many things I wanted to accomplish, but not all of these dreams aligned with what God had/has planned for me. Learning to let go of my fleshly expectations and becoming more open to God’s spiritual expectations is a beautiful learning experience.

More Issues Than Vogue…

I want to talk about a woman we all know—the woman with the issue of blood. We weren’t given her name, but that’s okay because we are all familiar with her story. I am sure that she had many dreams and aspirations as well. I am sure there were many things she wanted to accomplish, but her infirmity stopped her. During that time, it was dangerous for a woman to have that type of issue. Society viewed it as unclean for a woman, which makes my heart hurt for her. Being cast aside, in pain, and unable to connect with anyone for fear of being hurt. She was known only for her “issue” and not her identity, but she did not let that stop her from going after her healing. That did not stop her from seeking—seeking that touch from Jesus.

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Can you imagine forcing your way through a crowd? A crowd that, if caught, she could be seriously injured or worse? The strength it takes to be in constant pain and still have faith that God will turn it around is so beautiful to me. It led me to think about my identity and to explore just how important it is to build a foundation of faith based on God’s expectations of me and not the ones I created or accepted from outside sources.

“We are meant to be vessels that carry the glory and power and presence of the Lord. But I find, especially when it comes to identity, many of us have cracks and chips in those vessels due to circumstances that left us broken…” —Milk & Honey in the Land of Fire and Ice by Jenny Erlingsson

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Something happened…

Has anyone ever asked why you stopped doing something or going to a particular place? Maybe they said they noticed a change in you and wanted to know why because it wasn’t “like you” not to do XYZ. I’ve been there before. When I think about the woman with the issue of blood, I can only imagine the shift it took for her to leave her home that day. She must have had a pep talk with herself to keep going and not stop for anyone. The love that overrode the fear in her heart and led her to touch the hem of Jesus’s garment.

Something does have to happen for us to submit our identities to God fully. There has to be a shift of some sort—a lightbulb moment that leads us home to the one person who always leaves the light on and the door unlocked. Our Father never sleeps, so whenever we can’t, He’s always there to soothe our hearts and minds.

What Can I Learn from Her?

I learned that settling into an artificial identity can feel like a life sentence—unless you decide to give Jesus a try. Channel that faith that the woman with the issue of blood had. We must try to dig deep; I know we can do it. We’ve been committed to growth for almost three years now. The woman made her mind up that her life was going to change and that she would no longer be known for her infirmity but for her identity in Christ—as his daughter who is healed.

I found this song on Apple Music—“Try Jesus” by Paul the Messenger and I love it. Please listen and let me know what you think about Part II in the comments. I’ll be back soon with Part III!

Take Care,

ToriB💕🌻