Imagination: A Single Touch



         Have you ever felt like life was just spinning out of control and there seemed to be nowhere to run for help? I know I have. As I think back on those times in life, I innevitably found myself in a place that I just wished I could find relief. It seems we have all felt that pressing desparity for hope. That moment when you literally think you cannot go on. Or what about times in our lives when loneliness sets in and we feel beyond empty, just wishing someone would notice; just wishing someone would hold us in their arms and tell us everything would be okay and that they were here for us. We all know what it is like to 'walk through the valley of the shadow of death' and we all know that sometimes life is lonely and filled with pain and suffering that makes us feel as though we can't take one more step forward. We have all felt hopeless. And if we are believers, we have all felt like if we could just feel Jesus' touch, we would be much better off.

         I wonder if that is how the woman with the bleeding problem (Mark 5:25-29) felt; lonely, out of hope, and needing to encounter Jesus in a real and physical way. I wonder if the paralyzed man who was lowered into a home through the roof just to meet Jesus face to face (Mark 2:1-12) felt a sense of relief the moment he saw Jesus' face because he knew that his suffering would be over. I wonder if the blind man's anxiety and pain went away the moment he felt Jesus touch his eyes with the mud he had created to put on the man's eyes (John 9:1-11). This man, who had spent his whole life unable to see, dependent on the mercy of others; what was that moment like for him? What is it like to be touched, physically touched by Jesus?

         I remember lying in bed one night desperate to know God's peace; desperate to feel like He was there with me. As I closed my eyes, I just imagined what it would be like if Jesus could just reach out and touch me. What would it feel like to touch the hem of His garment for a split second? What would it feel like to reach out my hand and find Him there in the darkness of my room? What would it be like to be wrapped in the perfect love of God's embrace? If only I could feel Him as physically here as the woman who touched the hem of His cloak. If only I could feel Him touch my face the way the blind man had. If only I could feel His hand touch me and heal me. What if I could know Him that way?

         When I imagine what it  will be like to be completely lost in Christ's embrace and to feel Him touch my face and look into my eyes with all of His overwhelming love, I imagine the day when I will one day see Him in all His glory. I imagine the day when I meet my maker and I can't even begin to fathom what that will look like. This world can often feel lonely and pressing. We can often feel that if Jesus was physically here we would be more comforted and things would be much better. I admit, that sounds incredible, but I know that this side of Heaven, I can know Him even without Him physically before me. The truth is, Jesus is more real today than the covers that cover my body when I am tucked in bed at night. I may not physically see Him, but I know He is there.

          So dream with me friends, about the day that we will be able to know what it is like to feel Jesus' embrace and to know what it must have felt like to be someone in great need and to experience a touch from God Himself. Imagine that day, standing in glory when we see the King of Kings exalted on high. And suddenly, the old is gone, the new has come. May the thought of one day being touched by Jesus Christ and completely healed of all things in need of healing comfort you today. May you know that though no one is physically around you, you are not alone. May His love overtake you and may you find healing in the one who loves you infinitely more than you can imagine. The problems and pain of this world will not disappear until He returns again, but know that with just one touch, He can bring healing and new life. Be blessed and find healing in Him.