Hi there,

My name is Jacqueline, and I have the privilege of serving the Lord through Lamplighter Ministries as the conference coordinator. It’s possible that we have met at a conference or the Summer Guild, and I may have had the honor of helping you choose books for your family.

Not many books compel you to share the hope we have in Christ like the Bible does, but Lamplighter has found a treasure in As Many as Touch Him. After turning through the pages of this little story, I was encouraged to share the redeeming love of the Lord as well as wait patiently for answers to prayer.

The main character, Ellen, has decided that the endless days of toil and caretaking for her invalid brother, Jerry, have taken the pleasure out of life! Devoid of a relationship with God, the family is weighed down with unbearable burdens. Like Ellen, my family and I also live on a farm, and I instantly related to the amount of work it takes to keep it all running. As the story unfolded, I was reminded of the powerful message within, that sometimes I, myself, have needed to touch the hem of His garment and be made whole (Mark 6:56).

Ellen breaks free from life at the farm, yet she finds that the change of scenery doesn’t free her from the discontentment within her heart. This certainly isn’t what she had in mind when she left the farm! Surrounded by peer pressure, a demanding aunt, loneliness, and pesky consequences, she is left broken and desperate.

“As many as touched Him were made whole.”

She had heard Christ proclaimed as the Great Physician; she had even spoken of Him as such to her brother. Yet all the while she had been unconscious of her own desperate need. But now, how precious was the truth that Christ could make her whole! All she had to do was come.

Eight years ago, my husband passed away, making me a single mom of five young children. Through these years of widowhood, I have personally seen how God can bring beauty from ashes, humble a prideful heart, and redeem a life such as mine, giving me a reason to sing and allowing me to be a part of the amazing team at Lamplighter!

Trials, burdens, sickness, suffering, anxiety, fear, broken relationships, and prodigal children—the list often feels endless. How many times have you prayed, laying your burdens at the feet of Jesus, only to pick them back up again? More times than I would like to admit, I find myself asking God, “How long must I bear the burden?” Yet, therein lies the problem! I am to give Him my burdens—for His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt. 11:30).

“Dear Julia, if you are a sinner, I am one also,” said Ellen; “and the Saviour who has forgiven my sins will forgive yours, if you will only ask Him.”

“Oh, Ellen, is it true?” cried Julia, a ray of hope passing over her countenance.  “Is it all true that the preacher said—‘As many as touched Him’? Can I go to Him?  Can I touch Him?”

“Yes, it is true, quite true,” Ellen assured her. “The Lord Jesus will receive you lovingly and forgive your sins. But here comes Jerry; he can tell you better than I can. You did not know that the preacher was my brother Jerry.”

Throughout the pages of this book, you will be encouraged to see the needs of others, serve patiently, have joy in trials, be content, thankful, and trust the Lord at a deeper level. You will be encouraged to be the light in the darkness and have a greater desire to reach the least, the last, and the lost.

Jacqueline

Ps. 34:8