I'm Going to Have Some Scars

We had our annual Youth Alive meeting last week at Victory Tabernacle.  Pastor Randy Hammer was our guest speaker and he was outstanding.  Bro. Hammer brought his wife and youngest son with him.  His son is currently sporting casts on both arms due to an accident on a four-wheeler.

Les and I were chatting with Bro. Hammer's son (I can't remember his name!) on Sunday morning.  I teased him about never riding again because anytime Les has a bike crash I hear, "When are you going to tell him to stop riding?"  This young boy said, "No way!  I'll ride as soon as I can!"  Les then told him his philosophy:

I am in 100% agreement with this!  I don't want to stop him from riding.  He has such a great time, he stays healthy most of the time, and he's had some fun adventures.  I like it best when he doesn't crash, but none of us are going to get through life without some scars.

I thought about this when it comes to emotions. My heart has some scars. There have been times when I have helped someone, given my time and care, and they've taken and walked away without a backward glance or word of thanks. They've left a scar. I've been hurt, taken advantage of, and treated poorly, but I can't let that stop me from trying to help someone else.

Just as Les does NOT have a crash every time he rides his bike, many people are appreciative of the time and care given. On Friday night of Youth Alive Les and I were talking to a young man who was a Bible Quizzer in the 90s when Les was the district coordinator. He told us how much he appreciated us and the time we had given to him personally as a young person.  Of course the greatest reward is seeing him still living for God all these years later.

Pretty sure I'll have some scars, but I'm not going to live life on the couch or keep my heart in bubble wrap.

His Scars

We had a beautiful service last night.  Pastor McGriffin preached about "His Scars."  He talked about the fact that Jesus had scars from His crucifixion.  Scars mean healing has taken place.  Jesus was healed in just three days.  He chose to keep the scars, He could have erased them, but He kept them.

We all have wounds in our lives.  Some of those wounds have become scars because healing has taken place.  When someone is wounded they don't want anyone to touch the spot that is hurt.  When healing has taken place, the scar is only a reminder of past pain.

We gathered at the front for prayer and I thought honestly about where am I after the past few weeks.  I know many don't even start healing for months and even years, but I feel healed.  God has done an amazing work of healing in my life in the past few weeks.  It started with our first Sunday back in Hawaii, singing "Blessed Be Your Name."  More healing came during Hawaii Ladies Conference.  More still came while out running. 

While walking to the car, I said to Les, "I'm amazed at how quickly healing has come."  Les said, "Well that's what God does."  He surely has!  I will always miss my Dad, but it's a scar now, not an open, gaping wound.  God knew I need to be in a place of quietness.  A place where I could focus on receiving and not doing and giving. I'm so thankful, because of His scars, I am healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Scars

Warning:  Slightly graphic picture below.

I had a very interesting conversation on Sunday.  One of my friends was talking about a scar she has on her leg from a motorcycle accident.  Her skirts always hide it, so I've never seen it and don't know how bad it is.  I started telling her about a scar I have on my head.  "See, right here," I said, as I pointed.  She said, "I don't even see it." I went home and looked in the mirror and she was right.  I could hardly see it and I knew where to look!

I received this scar when I was in the 9th grade.  It was Friday night after youth service.  My sister, a friend, and I were going out to eat.  We stopped at a stop sign.  A frontage road was to my right.  A car came up the frontage road, didn't stop at a stop sign, and broadsided us.  None of us were wearing seat belts (it wasn't the law back then.)  I was thrown into the windshield.  This is what I looked like the next day:

If I I remember correctly, I received about 50 stitches.  A portion of my hair, that had never been cut, was shaved off.  I don't remember anything from the time we were hit until I awoke in the hospital.  I was able to go home that night.

“Scars show us where we have been, they do not dictate where we are going.”
 ~ David Rossi

That was almost 35 years ago.  The physical scar has faded, but the mental scar remains.  I still picture myself with a much larger scar.  I really thought, when I pointed it out to my friend, that she would see how horrible it was.

I don't even know the name of the man who hits us that night.  I never met him, but I've never forgotten what he did.  The outward scar has almost vanished, but if I rub in just the right spot, I can still feel the mark that was left that night.

We all have scars.  Some are in our flesh, others in our hearts and minds.  Scars that no one sees, but we still remember how we got them.

More people have been hurt by a careless tongue than a sharp sword.
~ Mom's Bible

As we go through life, we can be as careless as the young man who ran the stop sign that night.  He got in a car that was not his and left a scar in my life.  Our words, even those spoken in jest or carelessly, can also inflict scars.  The wound will heal, but the bearer of the scar will remember the one who inflicted the pain.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14