The Garment of Stigma - Jesus has you in is heart

Be Blessed by this short word.

Maybe, a life situation has left you feeling stigmatized. Maybe you are from a broken family, the one who they called ugly, the one who got divorced, the one who is single at 40+, the one who has had no children after years of marriage. Have an illness or disability. Feel behind in your career life.

Recently, I spoke to a lady I had a rapport with. As the conversation went on, the holy spirit led me to ask her where she worships, inviting her to worship and if she knew Christ. I was moved to this topic after she confided in me.On inviting her to worship she immediately declined and went off saying she did not want to hear about Jesus. The next day, this same woman found me in the library. She came to saying,she had been looking for me. I said, I trust all is well. She said, "you shall live long". To that I could only answer Amen.
She went on to tell me that, she went home and asked herself, "why I am I even not going to worship services?. She had confided in me in the conversation and I sensed there was a level self stigmatisation going on.There is stigmatization by others and self stigmatization.

For some, it's because they have come to feel stigmatised by their own situation in life, the lack of something in their lives, or something which looks significantly different to be deemed as "normal". If Jesus were to choose people to heal and serve him would he look at your life situation, will he look at your marital status, your life or will he will look at your heart and your alignment with his word. He has his unique time for you to find your feet in life. His speed for you is unique.

That stigma is the very thing that could lead you to your calling, your assignment. Should you only ease the burden of them and abandon them at the feet of Jesus, release focusing on them and use the time and energy in praise, worship and serve him. If you look at Jesus and who he reached out to were mainly people who may have been outcast/stigmatised in society. The Woman at the well as she is referred to is one of them. She does not even have a name. Just being known as the woman at the well is an indication that no one had made much attempt to find out her name. The disciples left Jesus at the well and were shocked to return to find him having a conversion with her. She was stigmatized by her marital life. Stigma caused her to go to the well when no one was there. Could it be that, Jesus wants to find you in a place on your own so he can talk to you.

Hagai servant to Sarai fled the home of Sarai after having a son for Abraham. The stigma of having a baby out of wedlock and for Abraham must have bothered her. Apart from Sarah mistreating her, could she have fled due to Stigma. Despite, this stigma, the lord spoke to her.  Hagar said, 
“I am running away from Sarai".

The angel of the Lord said to her, “Sarai is your owner. Go home to her and obey her.” The angel of the Lord also said, “From you will come many people—too many people to count.” 

We see that, Hagai hears a message from the lord. Hagai may be the most unexpected person to hear from God according to many possibly because she involved herself with Abraham even though it was by the order of Sarah. The very situation that does look uncertain today may be the very thing that opens up you up for blessings.

Jesus used what looks like stigma to heal emotionally and physically,stigma to recover and stigma to deliver people. We know of blind Bartimaeus and the woman at the well, again we aren't given any names for these two. Their situation appears to attract people's attention so much that, their names no longer matter as the issues with their lives which stigmatized them took over. With Batimeaus which wasn't his real name, it was his blindness.  So he was known as,"Blind Bartimeaus".
People even tried to stop him from coming to Jesus because of this blindness which stigmatized him.

The woman with the issue of blood also knew she would be kept from Jesus so she crept quietly to touch Jesus' garments to be healed with faith.

Who, what or which voices are keeping you from coming to meet Jesus?. Is it your own view of yourself and potentially how you may be viewed or is it how people view you. What stigma are you carrying that you think is too heavy for Jesus?. Jesus does not choose whom he reaches out to but he gives you a choice. A choice to come to him willingly to the throne that you may healed, recovered, and restored. You see, you are already in his heart so it is now over to you to receive him.

Stay blessed.

I am blessed, Jackqueline

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Dealing with the Pain of Loss - The Process of Mourning

Most if not all of us have gone through various emotions and each of us will process the loss and deal with the pain differently depending on how the loss came about.

Being no stranger to loss, I lost a fourth baby after birth and a mother in the same year, so I understand the pain. How do you know you have overcome the pain of a loved one?. I now realize if you can talk about it without breaking it down, it is likely you have overcome it.
Sudden loss and pain of a young one is far more painful as it is premature and unexpected than that of an elderly person for instance which may have been or seemed inevitable. You may be somewhat prepared. Unfortunate it is but Jesus is the healer.

I was intrigued by the story of an Orca female written in the mail newspaper. Its mother carried its dead offspring for 17 days and each time it fell off she would dive deep to find it and carry it again until it finally let go. It reminded me of the need to pick up my lost baby and just go through mourning. It didn't make sense to anyone but it was a natural process for me. That was the same the Orca dealt with mourning and processing the pain and loss of its offspring. We humans cannot carry our lost offspring physically like an Orca. We however can carry them spiritually positively recalling their memories with us. We take refuge and comfort in the fact that their spirits live on.

When l lost my baby in 2007, I found it necessary to go back to the grave almost every week to just stand there. I just was moved to do so. Like the Orca mother carrying its offspring, I went to the graveside regularly till I finally stopped naturally. Another way, I processed pain was to keep a picture taken at birth in the living room and point it out to anyone who cared to listen till I stopped naturally.
Not to get attention but simply to offload what I had gone through. People would say, take it down but it was a natural way of dealing with the loss. I've learned that it does not take time to mourn naturally, the pain may take longer to heal and surface unexpectedly.

There is nothing anyone born of man can do or say to heal your pain, only Christ can do that, and that is not to say people around you don't matter, their presence will be necessary. But after they are gone, the void needs healing. Who better to turn to Jesus Christ the healer of the pain from loss.

So, do what arises in your spirit to mourn, that may be God's way of helping you through loss.
The Lord will give peace that surpasses all understanding.

The tears of women and loved ones are heavy, we see how Jesus comforted them. When Martha and Mary lost Lazarus, they both dealt with the loss differently. In John:7 -11-17, we see that, Martha runs out to meet Jesus saying, "If you had been here Lazarus would not have died".
Jesus already knew and predicted the death of Lazarus. Even with that knowledge he wept and mourned Lazarus. What more for the totally unexpected loss. Mary says the same thing in the verse regarding the loss of Lazarus. Jesus also wept at that point but told Martha that Lazarus would rise again.

Martha and Mary expected miracles from Jesus, Indeed Jesus is a miracle worker and carrier and Lazarus was raised from the dead into glory. In Luke 7:11-17 we see Jesus had compassion for the mother who lost an only son and raised him. Jesus told her. "weep not".
Our loved ones we have lost may not rise again physically on this earth but by the blood of Jesus, they arise and live on in glory. Mothers at loss believe that, in time the pain of loss will heal. Your weapon is praise and through prayer and worship. Jesus Christ will give you the comfort you need in time but surrender the pain of loss to him.

Woman Arise And Be Healed Writing Speaking Ministries