Podcast Summary: "In Totality with Megan Ashley"

Episode 98: Wholeness in the Waiting: What Mark 5 Teaches Us About Jesus’ Timing
Host: Megan Ashley
Date: November 25, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Megan Ashley explores the theme of waiting on God by diving into Mark 5—a story that interweaves the healing of Jairus’s daughter and the woman with the issue of blood. She transparently relates these biblical events to her personal struggles with discouragement, emphasizing that God's timing is purposeful and that He offers more than we often seek. The episode provides deep encouragement for anyone who feels stuck, weary, or impatient for God to move, reminding listeners of the wholeness and restoration found in Christ.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Finding Encouragement Amid Discouragement (06:19 – 07:45)

• Megan shares openly about battling discouragement and the temptation to seek a grand, supernatural sign from God to lift her spirits.
• She reminds listeners that encouragement can and should be sought in God’s Word, not just through dramatic spiritual experiences.

“When I am discouraged, I want the burning bush… I want this, like, supernatural, miraculous thing. I want God to, like, come down… Just, I want you to come and rescue me from this discouragement.”
— Megan Ashley [08:12]

2. Exploring Mark 5: The Woman with the Issue of Blood (09:22 – 19:18)

• Megan recounts the account of Jesus being approached by Jairus and, on the way, being stopped by the woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years.
• She unpacks the profound suffering of the woman—physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually—due to her condition and the social isolation it created.
• Megan highlights the woman’s desperate faith: she risks public shame and further rejection just to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, believing she’ll be healed.
• The story is not just about physical healing but also about identity, dignity, and restoration.

“She has the intentions on just being healed. But Jesus stops and he lets her tell her whole story. And he calls her daughter… She gets his attention, she gets his time, she gets his empathy, she gets his comfort. And he gives her and he restores her identity.”
— Megan Ashley [19:41]

3. God Always Gives More Than We Seek (19:18 – 24:35)

• Megan emphasizes that Jesus provides more than the woman could have hoped for—physical healing and emotional affirmation by calling her “daughter.”
• This act restored her relationship with God and her community, healing not only her body but her soul.
• She draws an analogy from Romans 8:18—the present suffering doesn’t compare to the coming glory.

“God is so kind and sovereign that he is always going to give you significantly more than what you bargained for.”
— Megan Ashley [21:14]

4. The Interruption and Jairus’s Perspective (27:52 – 36:00)

• Megan discusses the narrative interruption: while Jesus is healing the woman, Jairus waits anxiously for his own miracle.
• She explores how easy it is to feel impatient or overlooked when it seems God is helping others first.
• Megan relates this to personal experiences, like waiting at a hospital, where urgency feels subjective.

“We can see our situation and think that our situation is more urgent… ‘Why are you not responding to me when my situation feels more dire, but you’re responding to them when their situation doesn’t seem as dire?’ But we have to remember who he is.”
— Megan Ashley [32:08]

5. The Timing and Glory of Jesus (36:00 – 40:09)

• Megan reminds listeners that God’s timing, though often mysterious and difficult to accept, is always perfect and aimed at His glory.
• She draws out the faith required to wait, just as Jairus waited—sometimes through what looks like a hopeless delay.
• The message is to trust that God sees the bigger picture and is “never late.”

“He’s not just looking to do the one thing. He’s looking to do all of it. He’s looking to make you whole—not just in one area, but in totality.”
— Megan Ashley [37:36]

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On seeking signs versus seeking scriptures:
  “When I am discouraged, I want the burning bush… But I feel like the Lord is just kind of like, yeah, like I, I have encouragement for you. I am speaking to you. It may not be in the way that you want me to, right? But I’m always speaking. Go read my Word.” — Megan Ashley [08:09]

• On the risk and faith of the bleeding woman:
  “To even get that close to him, she might end up bumping up against other people… she is taking a major risk.” — Megan Ashley [14:07]

• On God’s generosity:
  “She intended to touch the hem of his garment and just go about her merry way… but she gets significantly more than what she intended.” — Megan Ashley [19:41]

• On the significance of being called ‘daughter’:
  “You are no longer going to be known just for the things that you have suffered, but I am giving you a new identity.” — Megan Ashley [20:13]

• On faith while waiting:
  “Do not fear, just have faith. This—I am the same God that stopped the raging sea, I am the same one who cast out demons, I am the same one who healed the blind…” — Megan Ashley (quoting Tim Keller’s insight) [36:47]

• On patience and trust:
  “God’s timing is always to bring him glory. To show you that he is God and he has power—resurrection power, power to heal, power to save, power to restore, power to do exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ask or think.” — Megan Ashley [38:27]

Key Segment Timestamps

• Personal context and intro to topic: 06:19 – 07:45
• Retelling & unpacking Mark 5 narrative: 09:22 – 19:18
• Emphasis on identity and more-than-expected blessing: 19:18 – 24:35
• Jairus’s waiting and timing issues: 27:52 – 36:00
• Encouragement about patience and God’s glory: 36:00 – 40:09
• Closing exhortation and blessing: 39:16 – 40:09

Tone and Style

Megan’s delivery is warm, direct, and vulnerable, interspersed with humor (sharing about losing her Crash Bandicoot skills) and a deeply pastoral, encouraging tone. She shares personal struggles openly and frequently reminds the audience of God’s character, inviting listeners to identify with her journey and reflections.

Final Takeaways

• Seek encouragement in Scripture, not just supernatural signs.
• God always gives more than we expect—healing, yes, but also restoration, identity, and dignity.
• His timing is intentional and is designed for both our good and His glory.
• Be patient while waiting, remembering the faithfulness of the one who has power over all things.
• Jesus is not just after solving one problem, but after making us whole—in totality.

“He’s looking to make you whole. Not just in one area, but in totality.”
— Megan Ashley [39:36]

This episode is a must-listen for those in a season of waiting, reminding us to trust God’s timing and to find our wholeness in Him.