Today’s Readings: Psalm 142; Genesis 49:1-28; Luke 8:40-56; Acts 21:17-26; Psalm 60
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “The definition of ‘insanity’ is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.” I first encountered that saying when I was working to understand the dynamics involved in the life of an organization. It’s easy to see how flawed that logic is when it comes to the life of an organization. When you put that same principle within a personal context, however, it’s much more difficult to see the flawed logic. For instance, some people will stay in abusive or neglectful relationships year after year and never change their own behavior (i.e. set healthy boundaries for themselves with their partner); instead, they simply hope that things will unexpectedly change. Others will find themselves in financial distress because of their spending habits - yet do nothing to change their behavior. As a result, all they do is hope their luck will change. So what does all of this have to do with today’s readings? Well, today’s Gospel reading from Luke contains the story of a woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. For years and years, I’m sure the woman had tried the same things over and over in an attempt to change her circumstance: I imagine she sought out leaders from her religious community and the "medical experts" of her day . And yet 12 years later she had nothing to show for it! Then one day she encountered the presence of something (I should say, "someone") new. Instead of repeating past behaviors, the woman took her encounter with Jesus as a call to try something new. She did just that; and as a result, she was healed. What was it that healed her? As Jesus said, “You took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole” (Luke 8:48 – The Message). Perhaps there’s a difficult area of your life where you’ve been trying the same things over and over and simply hoped for a different result: maybe that area is in a relationship, a financial situation, or a circumstance involving your health. Instead of following the same tired old patterns, follow the hemorrhaging woman's example and take a risk: put your faith in something larger than yourself. If you summon the strength and courage to do that, you might just find yourself healed and made whole in ways you never dreamed possible. Til next time…
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “The definition of ‘insanity’ is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.” I first encountered that saying when I was working to understand the dynamics involved in the life of an organization. It’s easy to see how flawed that logic is when it comes to the life of an organization. When you put that same principle within a personal context, however, it’s much more difficult to see the flawed logic. For instance, some people will stay in abusive or neglectful relationships year after year and never change their own behavior (i.e. set healthy boundaries for themselves with their partner); instead, they simply hope that things will unexpectedly change. Others will find themselves in financial distress because of their spending habits - yet do nothing to change their behavior. As a result, all they do is hope their luck will change. So what does all of this have to do with today’s readings? Well, today’s Gospel reading from Luke contains the story of a woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. For years and years, I’m sure the woman had tried the same things over and over in an attempt to change her circumstance: I imagine she sought out leaders from her religious community and the "medical experts" of her day . And yet 12 years later she had nothing to show for it! Then one day she encountered the presence of something (I should say, "someone") new. Instead of repeating past behaviors, the woman took her encounter with Jesus as a call to try something new. She did just that; and as a result, she was healed. What was it that healed her? As Jesus said, “You took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole” (Luke 8:48 – The Message). Perhaps there’s a difficult area of your life where you’ve been trying the same things over and over and simply hoped for a different result: maybe that area is in a relationship, a financial situation, or a circumstance involving your health. Instead of following the same tired old patterns, follow the hemorrhaging woman's example and take a risk: put your faith in something larger than yourself. If you summon the strength and courage to do that, you might just find yourself healed and made whole in ways you never dreamed possible. Til next time…
