Anya, The Bleeding Woman is Healed by Katie Sampias

Plop.

A water droplet fell on Anya's head. The moisture shocked her from her sleep and she opened her eyes. Her sparse single-room dwelling was still dark with just a hint of the morning light creeping through its small high singular window despite light rain continuing to fall. Anya remembered what the significance of the day was and was grateful that the rain had awoken her despite feeling a little frustrated that her roof was still in need of repair - a task she had neither the financial means nor the energy reserves to address. Her situation, on other days, could have caused the leak to trigger a state of depression that could have even lasted a day or even up to weeks. However, Anya had hope that today would perhaps bring a change and that hope she focused on her dark thoughts did not take hold in her mind. She slowly rolled herself off her sleeping mat and carefully stood up and moved to a small wooden chair and table where she sat down and peeled back a wrapping on some bread that her friend, Sarah, had brought when she had visited her the night before.

Sarah was a childhood friend and although she was the same age as Anya looked and exuded the energy of someone years younger. Her hair was still dark and luscious and her eyes were brown and sparkled when she spoke. She was joyful. Life had been kinder to Sarah. Her husband was still alive and her grown sons still lived in the family home along with their wives and children. Despite her good fortune, she was acutely aware of her blessings and sensitive to the plight of others, like her friend Anya, who was widowed with children that lived far away and had endured constant bleeding for twelve years. She deeply desired her friend to be healed and had, like others who visited Anya to bring her sustenance and company for comfort, told her about the stories of the new healer, Jesus. However, Sarah was careful about how she spoke about Jesus. She tried to downplay her excitement and was careful not press Anya to go to seek out his healing touch. She knew of the many disappointments Anya had suffered after failing to be cured despite countless visits to healers and physicians to whom she had paid copious fees.

"Word is that he has just been in the region of the Gerasenes where he had healed a very unwell man who has been possessed by several demons. He is on his way back with his disciples to this across the sea and will very likely be local in the morning. There are reports he and his followers will set up camp on the seashore", Sarah relayed.

Anya had listened to the news about the healer from Sarah but had also tried to downplay her delight. She had been intrigued by the stories and although she had suffered many disappointments in seeking healing, the stories of Jesus had been what had been sustaining her in her suffering during the past few months. In her lowest moments, she could recall these stories and hold onto hope. There was something about how people described Jesus that made her feel not only hopeful about the possibility of being healed but also deep peace about life in general. She had reflected on this hope and wondered about it. Feeling this hope did not make a whole lot of sense given all that she had been through, but she realized that it was the message of love that Jesus had that made her feel it. Jesus preached that God was a God of love who cared for the downtrodden and sick in this world and the descriptions of how he interacted with those were in line with this message. He was using his own body to heal these same groups of people he said were loved by God. This is what made Anya believe that if she were given an opportunity to get close to Jesus it would be different - he had the power to heal her because he had God's power of love within his healing touch. 

"If only I could touch the very outer most layer of his clothing, then surely I could be healed", she had thought to herself. 

Anya had made the promise to herself that if Jesus did come to a place nearby her home she would make sure she made every effort to get as near as she could to him in the hope of being healed. She had considered how she would go about this and thought it best that she be as inconspicuous as possible so she would not need to discuss it with anyone if she was not healed and so no one could disapprove of her venturing out into public while still unclean.

After Anya finished eating, she bathed herself using a damp cloth of water and balsam as best she could. She wanted to ensure the smell of her bleeding did not alert anyone to her presence. Anya then slowly dressed in an uncolored plain cloak and covered her head with the same material. The sallow skin of her face was made more so by the lackluster of her dress. Her brittle hands poked as she checked to make sure all the seams were sitting correctly and her headpiece was properly in place. She did not want to draw attention to herself and had chosen the non-descript clothes for this reason. 

The rain had stopped and the clouds overhead were quickly clearing as Anya left her small abode and headed very slowly downhill through the village of small basalt stone dwellings towards the seashore. Although the dawn had broken the sunlight had not yet infiltrated the sky. There were not many people about at this time of day and Anya was thankful that she could travel to the healer when the village was quieter as there was less chance she would be seen. She was also grateful once she had made it to the end of the cluster of buildings of the village and all that lay beyond was the seashore of stones and sand and the sea which at this time of day was mostly flat with only minimal breeze periodically disturbing its glasslike surface. 

She surveyed the shore to see if indeed Jesus and his followers were there while hiding in the shadow of the building closest to the shore. Anya saw a small group of men and women around a campfire. Some were awake but in silent contemplation. Perhaps they were praying, she thought. Others were still asleep as the sun slowly rose further over the horizon. There were some plane trees a little to the right of the group and Anya rested for a little while before moving to hide amongst these while she could observe the group, work out who the healer was and plan how it would be best to approach him. Anya wondered which of the men were Jesus and saw that there was one man who looked the most intensely engaged in prayer. She thought that must be him. His back was straight, legs crossed and his eyes were closed. 

Anya then heard a man yelling and sprinting coming from the opposite direction to her towards Jesus and his followers. His face was red and he gasped for breath as he cried.

"Rabbi rabbi, I need your help. My daughter is deeply unwell and I need you to come to heal her."

The followers of Jesus who had been sleeping were being awoken by this commotion and Anya, anticipating that Jesus was going to leave and go with this man, realized that it was now or never - she would need to muster up all her energy to get over to Jesus as quickly as she could before he left. 

Although it was only a few minutes before Anya reached the group, a crowd had formed around Jesus - his followers and other villages who had heard about the rabbi's sick daughter who was curious about what the healer would do had arrived. Momentum had been built and the swarm of people had started moving away from the campsite towards another small village that was nearby. Anya wove herself in amongst them to Jesus with her last bursts of energy. Then with all her might stretched out her hand towards Jesus as she fell over in exhaustion. Her hand just managed to brush Jesus's cloak as she fell to the ground. But Anya did not feel the impact. Nor did her brittle bones and limp muscles break or tear. Instead, Anya felt heat surge through her body and energy and could feel that her constant bleeding had stopped. Despite having faith Jesus could heal the reality of having been healed came as a shock.  Goosebumps and hair on her body felt as if it was standing on end. 

Anya was still looking at the ground when she heard Jesus speak.

"Who was it that just touched my clothing?"

Anya gulped and her jaw, chest, and stomach clenched involuntarily.  Perhaps she had made a mistake, she thought. Had she totally miscalculated this situation? This Jesus may not feel comfortable being touched by an unclean woman.  She momentarily felt intensely regretful and ashamed at her decision to pursue and seek to touch him in order to be healed. Before she could move she felt a hand on her own and then saw a man crouched down in front of her poised to lift her up. It was Jesus. He looked directly into her eyes as he assisted her to stand. She looked back at his eyes which drew her in like a magnet. She could not tell what color they were, they appeared to change. She then knew she indeed had not been mistaken. She felt warmth emanate throughout her whole body and it was if she was experiencing all the moments of her whole life full of its ups and downs at once with Jesus looking on; he was loving her throughout them as well as loving her through what she had done or failed to do, and for merely being. Jesus also had a message for Anya but he did not need to use words. Anya knew what he was saying to her.

"I can see and know what you have been through and I am deeply sorry you needed to experience that and on top of that, you should not have been shunned as unclean. I am sorry that you have not only suffered deeply physically but also socially. I wanted to see who it who had touched me as I felt the power go out of me and know how much you have and were suffering to require that amount of energy that I felt it."

The crinkles around Jesus's sparkling eyes lifted and he smiled at Anya. Anya did not want Jesus to leave her but knew Jesus had to leave to attend to the rabbi's daughter. Once he had deeply smiled at her and knew his message had been received Jesus turned away and pressed on with the rabbi. The crowd left too and Anya was left alone to absorb what had just happened.

The sun was higher in the sky now and the rain clouds had mostly cleared to reveal a radiant day. Anya felt drawn towards the water and for the first time in years saw her reflection as she stood ankle-deep in it. Her skin was bright and her nails and hair glistened with health. She waded further into the sea realizing that for the first time in years she would be able to make real plans about what she wanted to do with her life as she was now free from her incapacities. But now was not the time for planning but rather rejoicing, thanksgiving, and taking in the wonder of this joyful day. Anya ventured further into the water and lay on her back with her arms and hands spread out like a star. She gazed up at the clear blue sky.

Katie Sampias is a mother of three children living in Brisbane, Australia.  She currently loves to explore the gospel stories from the points of view of women using imaginative prayer to do so. Website: whitewaves.net