A Cellist in the Tuba Section

Mark 5:25-34 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, " Who touched my garments? " And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, " Daughter, your faith has made you

John 8:3-11 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, " Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. " And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, " Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? " She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, " Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more ."   (ESV)

Mark 12:41-44 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed our of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on". (ESV) Normally, this story is used to point out a lesson in generosity or trust in God's provision. That is definitely an important part of this story because this woman gave all her money to God, trusting that He would continue to provide for her needs. However, another thing that I think we can learn from this woman is the difference that can be made even though we may feel like we're not enough. If you notice, Jesus just praises this woman's faithf

Ever heard someone say "Don't pray for patience" or talk about how someone prayed for patience and then endured some terrible experience like cancer that won't go into remission for several months/years or a period of infertility that seemed to go on forever. Now, in a sense I understand why people say this: praying for patience means that sometimes God allows you to experience life circumstances that will frustrate you but ultimately build you into a more patient person. But I hate that people always say "don't pray for patience". First, it makes us seem like we can control the circumstances that God sends our way. That's in no way the case. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (ESV). We cannot understand what circumstances we need to become the person