hard to put into words

Today we read from Mark 5:21-43 in the One Year Bible. Jesus is on His way to heal Jairus's daughter when a woman who had been bleeding for years comes up behind Him. She touches His robe and immediately she is healed. Jesus turns around and asks, "Who touched my robe?"

The disciples are floored. "All of these people are pressing against You from every direction! How in the world are we supposed to tell You who touched You?"

Jesus doesn't reply, He just keeps looking around in the crowd. Because what He means can't be put easily into words. He KNOWS that someone touched Him and His healing power went out to them. But that's hard to explain. Finally the woman realizes that He knows what happened and comes to confess what she did.

Frequently when God works in our lives, it's hard to explain. We know He's done something, and we sense in our hearts that we've changed. But it's difficult to tell people about. When they too have had something happen in their lives that God has done, they will pick up what you mean, when you share some words pointing at the thing that happened.

But those who haven't had those things happen will not understand. They might think you're making things up. They might think you've gone loopy. These are the things that nonbelievers have said about those who follow Jesus, and even about Jesus Himself, from the beginning.

Don't be surprised when the world hates you. It hates what it doesn't understand. Love them. Pray for them. And keep pointing to the thing that you can't quite put into words. Maybe they'll experience it, too.

God, thanks for being bigger than words.