Encouragement for Today
 | October 9, 2026 Crawling Still Counts |
“For she said, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well’” (Mark 5:28, ESV).
I looked over at my middle son, only 2 years old, in the pediatric emergency room. My husband held him as he cried, and I remember wishing someone would hold me too. I looked frazzled, but on the inside, I felt worse.
My family had been through weeks of some of the most difficult trials we had ever endured, the pinnacle being my middle son flipping off our trampoline and busting his face open. Thankfully, he started feeling better after stitches and a few days of extra care. But the trauma lingered. It started to feel like we were enduring a thousand little cuts in life that left us slowly crawling to Jesus for the extra care we all needed.
Less than two minutes prior to the injury, I had said to my husband, “I think it’s lifting. I think this hard season is over.” And then it all started again.
The new domino effect of trials included weeks of intense dental work for me, surgery to remove a large ulcer on my lip, and the kind of mental turmoil that could only come from an evil enemy. The devil was trying to shut me up and shut me down.
Desperate for relief, healing, and a break, I wanted to give up so many times. Have you also felt that way?
In our most exhausted and desperate moments, when all we can do is crawl to the feet of Jesus, we need to remember that crawling counts too. It means we’re still moving; we haven’t given up just yet. And as we crawl toward Jesus, He meets us right where we are with the kind of healing power only He can provide.
Perseverance is not defined by speed but rather by consistent effort to move forward with pure desperation and determination to reach the light at the end of the tunnel — Jesus.
We see a woman in the Bible whose desperation fueled her perseverance. She had been hemorrhaging blood for 12 years and tried everything she could to find healing. Her last-ditch effort was to get to a man she believed would heal her. “For she said, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well’” (Mark 5:28).
I imagine it wasn’t easy for her to get through the crowd to Jesus. Can you fathom fighting your way through a mass of people while you're weak and bleeding? I’m not sure I could do it.
Unless I knew with certainty that the person I was trying to get to could save my life in more ways than one.
I wonder if, in her determination to get to Jesus, the woman began to crawl on her hands and knees. I picture myself crawling toward Jesus in my weakest moments too. And I envision Him slowing down long enough for me to reach His robe, to give me freedom from pain and sin.
Sometimes, the only next step you can take is to crawl — but crawling still counts. Crawling will still get you to Jesus so you can be made well, not in your own strength but in His.
Jesus, help me stay focused on You when I’m desperate for relief and continue crawling toward You when I feel like giving up. Fuel my faith and restore my spirit during trying times. Thank You for the freedom in Your healing touch. In Jesus’ name, amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
For an honest, hope-filled companion on the days you feel like giving up, grab a copy of Kaitlin Chappell Rogers’ book, She Just Won't Quit: Embracing the Practice of Everyday Perseverance.
ENGAGE
Kaitlin Chappell Rogers is an author, speaker, podcast host, wife, and boy mom of three! She loves encouraging other women and sharing about the love of Jesus however and wherever she can. Find out more about Kaitlin, her books, podcast, and speaking events, and connect with her on Instagram, Substack, and her website.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 141:8, “But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death” (NIV).
Jeremiah 17:14, “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise” (NIV).
What trial in your life that’s leaving you desperate for relief right now can lead you to Jesus?
How have you seen Jesus slow down to let you reach Him as you crawled toward the hem of His garment? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
© 2026 by Kaitlin Chappell Rogers. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
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