The Collage Podcast: From Relief to Recovery—Empowering Change, Part 2

Host: Feed My Sheep
Guest: Nancy Glover
Date: February 11, 2026
Produced by Feed My Sheep, Temple, TX

Overview

In this episode, the hosts of The Collage Podcast, recorded at Feed My Sheep in Temple, Texas, delve into the difference between simply providing relief and fostering true recovery and restoration—especially for society’s most vulnerable women. Using the biblical story of Jesus healing the hemorrhaging woman as a central metaphor, they explore how identity, community, and family play pivotal roles in empowerment, healing, and change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Framing the Conversation: More Than Relief (00:31–06:24)

• Upcoming Valentine’s Event: The team will host an event for local women, giving them an opportunity to dress up, receive donated items, and feel celebrated.
• Focus Shift: While the event coincides with Valentine’s Day, the hosts clarify the discussion is not about romance but about restoration, recovery, and family.
• Main Question: What does “family” really mean, especially in the journey from basic relief to true recovery?
  • Relief is meeting immediate, basic needs (food, shelter, safety).
  • Recovery and restoration go beyond relief, rooted in recognizing individual worth and fostering a sense of belonging and family.
• Quote:

  "One of the big separations out of relief phase…is this understanding of individual worth and how you fit in with their story—i.e., that you are connected and you are part of the same family.” (A, 05:06)

The Story of the Hemorrhaging Woman: A Model for Restoration (07:14–13:49)

• Summary of the Story:

  • The woman was labeled as unclean for 13 years, making her a community outcast (07:14).
  • She believed that touching Jesus’ cloak would heal her. When she did, she was healed immediately (07:52).
  • Jesus publicly calls her “daughter,” restoring her not just physically but socially and emotionally (08:45).

• Relief vs. Restoration:
  If the story ended with physical healing, the woman would still remain an outsider. Public affirmation was crucial for her restoration.

• Quote:

  “She needed him to validate her…that she had been healed and that she could therefore be brought back into the fold.” (B, 10:04)
  “He realized it is not all right for me just to do this and go on down the road.” (A, 11:02)

Application to Modern Social Services (13:13–24:42)

• Physical Aid Is Not Enough:
  Everyday at Feed My Sheep, they meet immediate needs—shelter, rent, food—but recognize this doesn’t equal restoration.

  “Here’s $400...have I done something? Okay. But if that is solely it, have I done something?” (A, 21:03)

• Deeper Needs: Belonging & Identity:

  • True recovery involves vulnerability, forming connections, and validating worth—just like family.
  • It’s riskier, more personal, and more transformative.

  “Letting yourself get to that level of vulnerability with another human…is there’s a pretty good chance they’re going to break your heart. But we try and we love them anyway, just as we would our children.” (B, 22:26)

The Power of Naming and Belonging (24:42–33:06)

• Public Restoration:

  • Jesus’ act of calling the woman “daughter” in front of her entire community restored her status and identity.
  • The hosts challenge listeners to do the same by fostering belonging in their own communities.

  “That is her identity. Not her ailment. That was how she was identified.” (A, 17:45)
  “Now that person…is set up to possibly move towards restoration and be to life and life abundantly.” (A, 33:50)

• Parallels to Clients Served:
  Many who come to Feed My Sheep for help feel as ostracized and unworthy as the hemorrhaging woman. Recovery is about helping them see themselves as worthy and beloved.

Personal Reflection: Knowing Stories, Creating Family (40:40–47:13)

• Honest Confession:
  The host admits to not knowing the story of a woman who frequents their services, despite interacting with her daily; he calls it “wrong” and uses it to illustrate the importance of seeing and knowing people as individuals.

• Simple Actions, Big Impact:

  • A volunteer’s intent to take a woman to lunch just to hear her story is a transformative step toward recovery and validation, echoing the restoration modeled by Jesus.

  “Not that we’re going to stop any of the ailments physically… but identifying people as an individual person that has worth is a huge step to the recovery and restoration. Without that, you don’t get the other.” (A, 48:25)

Barriers to Self-Worth and Societal Labels (50:15–56:14)

• Internalizing Negativity:
  Years of being told you’re unclean, unimportant, or unworthy can shape self-image, just as much as outward circumstances.

  “Her opinion of herself had to be awful...almost as if to think, you know, I’m not worthy of the time for him to stop and talk to me specifically, or I don’t want to look at him face to face because I’m unclean….” (B, 25:01)

• Modern Examples:

  • Many experience this devaluation today—those in abusive relationships, those written off by family, and those defined by hardship.
  • Physical help without emotional restoration only changes geography, not the root situation.

  “If all she got out of here was simply a bus ticket to somewhere else, that’s good… but have we really changed anything? Geography.” (A, 54:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On The Need for Validation:

  “She had to have her identity clarified. She had to have people. She had to have community.” (A, 34:01)

• On the Role of Social Service Organizations:

  “Physical, straight physical healing and just providing solely and only immediate relief is not the answer in totality. It’s good… But that’s not the whole picture.” (A, 56:14)

• On Universal Struggle With Worth:

  “The commonality that draws us together is not that, ‘Whew, luckily I’m not the bleeding woman.’ Hold on. You are. We all are hemorrhaging.” (A, 51:13)

• On Love and Identity in Christ:

  “The name that he calls you by is daughter… this is my beloved daughter. I desire for her to have life and life abundantly.” (A, 62:14)

Important Segments by Timestamp

• The Valentine Event & Introducing the Family Theme: 00:31–06:24
• The Story of the Hemorrhaging Woman: 07:14–13:49
• Relief vs. Recovery/Restoration in Nonprofit Work: 13:13–24:42
• Why Belonging and Identity Matter: 24:42–33:06
• Parallels in Modern Context: Knowing People: 40:40–47:13
• Addressing Societal & Self-Perception: 50:15–56:14
• Final Reflections & Mission Statement: 56:14–63:50

Takeaways for Listeners

• Relief (meeting immediate needs) is necessary but not sufficient—true recovery and restoration require seeing, loving, and naming people as family.
• Social transformation happens not just by “stopping the bleeding,” but by restoring identity and belonging.
• Simple actions—taking time to know a person’s story, validating their worth—can be world-changing.
• Everyone, at some point, is the “bleeding woman,” and everyone needs a community to say, “You are my daughter/son.”
• The episode challenges social service workers and all listeners to look deeper than physical need and to consider how they can contribute to lasting restoration and empowerment in their own circles.

Closing Challenge:
If you’re in a position to help, strive for more than relief—strive for recovery, restoration, and empowering change. Recognize and affirm the worth and identity of those you serve, just as Jesus did for the woman in the story.

End of Content Summary