Communion
Oil on Wood
24”x36”
Where Might God Be inviting You?
This scene emerged while I was midrashing about the possible friendship between Jairus’s daughter and the bleeding woman. One had lived for twelve years; the other had suffered for twelve years. Both received the gift of life-giving resurrection in the same miraculous hour. I imagine them later sitting together in quiet companionship, bonded through a communion of suffering and healing. Perhaps they compared stories and remained friends for years. Special thank you to Callie and Kirstyn for teaching me about life found in Jesus at a young age, and the healing powers he still offers today.
Vulnerable Women
Vulnerable women,
women in crisis
drench my heart with empathy
for their ancient lives.
I wonder:
Did the bleeding woman
and Jairus’s daughter
break bread together
over lives once broken,
now made whole?
Did they dream of eternal resurrection,
one greater than twelve years?
I worry:
What if he does not heal my child?
Will I be clothed forever in ashes?
Will he step into my crisis?
I witness:
As I read stories of these ancient women
I unearth my own name
between the lines,
and whisper,
me too.
For reflection:
What part of your own story—your suffering, healing, waiting, or resurrection—might God be transforming into a source of compassion and life for someone else?
Who has walked alongside you through a season of suffering or healing, and how has that companionship changed the way you understand God’s presence?
The two women experienced twelve years of very different stories, yet their lives intersected in the same moment of healing. Where might God be inviting you to notice a shared thread of hope between your story and someone else’s?