...strength out of me to her

In life, so often, we hear of stories that mirror those we've read/studied/pondered in the Scriptures or General Conference.  Experiences of others also teach us.  The story of the woman that touched the hem of the Saviors garment has always touched me.  First of all that she felt if she could just get near Him, just touch His clothes, that her faith was sufficient to be healed of a 12 years old malady. 

 I was also impressed with Him being in a throng of people, pressing on him.  reaching.  seeking.  probably pushing and the likes. that he still sensed the tug, the touch on the hem on his robe and asked...who did it?  Perplexed, by the size of the crowd,  his followers acknowledged...how can we know?  He felt virtue (strength/power) go out of him.  so he felt that physical drain, when she with faith sought strength, by just touching his clothing.  

When Sister Julie Beck was General RS President she was interviewed and talked about the new Church Handbook.  She shares about visiting an area that had been devastated in Peru.  I was taken aback and thrilled when I read the words....And I felt strength going out of me into her.  (I made it bold in the article).

I hope you enjoy this short article and will give it some pondering time.  It's well worth a thought or two or a dozen or more!

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Participating in a revision of the Church Handbook, they came up with three simple concepts pertaining to the objectives of Relief Society: faith, family and providing relief.

Illustrating that, she told of an experience she had visiting an area in Pisco, Peru, that had been leveled by an earthquake.

"When that happened, the stake Relief Society president worked in harmony with the stake president. She went into action."

One of the few structures left standing in that area was an LDS meetinghouse. There, she organized efforts to feed victims. Subsequently, she and her counselors helped people mend their lives by teaching skills and by showing them how to cook using the supplies sent from Church headquarters.

Reaching out to the greater community, the stake Relief Society president and members of the Relief Society made blankets for the babies in the city. They also helped needy people start home industries and thus regain their livelihoods.

On her visit several months later, Sister Beck met the stake Relief Society president.

"She came up to me, put her head on my shoulder and cried and cried and cried," Sister Beck recounted. "Then she cried some more. She couldn't speak. And I felt strength going out of me into her.

"After about five minutes, she raised her head and squared her shoulders. I said, 'Sister, are you OK? Can I help you?' She said, 'I'm just fine! I just needed someplace to cry.'

"I recognized that she had this tremendous strength for months and months. My job was just to go and provide the shoulder. But she had known through revelation and through a few simple principles how to serve."

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Here are the 3 scriptural accounts. I love this scripture story so much.  

Take a minute and soak up the goodness and the marvelous things we can learn about faith and it's power.  I also would have wanted to do what she did.  Wouldn't you?  I think we all would.

Matt. 9

20 ¶And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an ^aissue of^bblood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be ^awhole.

 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee ^awhole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Mark 5 

25 And a certain woman, which had an ^aissue of blood twelve years,

 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his ^agarment.

 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that ^avirtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy ^afaith hath made thee whole; go in ^bpeace, and be whole of thy plague.

Luke 8

 43 ¶And a woman having an issue of ^ablood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

 44 Came behind him, and touched the ^aborder of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood ^bstanched.

 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that ^avirtue is gone out of me.

 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was ^ahealed immediately.

 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good ^acomfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

I have lots of markings on this set of scriptures as they are so profound.  I love it was a woman and I also am comfortable that she was having problems that I, as a woman, can understand and identify with.  The entire story is a power house to me.   

 I remember looking up virtue in the dictionary, beyond the footnotes, and writing in the margin...virtue=the ability to heal or strengthen.  healing power.