SCARS

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3 NLT Version)

Last Wednesday night, after studying Psalm 149 in Bible Study and focusing on giving God glory and giving God the praise, I entered the bathroom and looked in the mirror, searching my face like a top-notched crime scene investigator, looking for a scar that had been present since I tried to shave at the age of five with no shaving cream. I’ll get back to last Wednesday in a second but first let me go back in time so you will have a clear picture of how I got my scar.

Being a curious toddler type tyke, I picked up my uncle’s razor and pressed it against my face, stroking downward as I had seen adults do on TV razor blade and shaving cream commercials. As you can imagine, with no water or shaving cream, I cut myself pretty bad. Blood was flowing and I knew I was in trouble. I needed to get away! The bathroom was upstairs, but I had to escape! It was not going to be easy because the adults, “Momma and dem,” were talking in the living room adjacent to the stairs. Being innovative (Smile!), I walked downstairs backwards, pretending to talk to my older brother. I quickly exited out the back door and got on somebody’s tricycle. Somebody noticed and informed my mother. Mom came running like an Olympic sprinter and snatched me up off my three-wheel, non-motorized escape vehicle in one swooping move. She took me back to the house and they bandaged me up pretty good. I probably looked like a mummy. Corporal punishment would have been appropriate, but probably my bleeding is what kept me from getting a beating, Smile again!

Now, back to last Wednesday. I could not see the scar! After seeing it for years, it was finally not visible to the naked eye. Give God the glory! I started thinking what I learned from the scar. Among other things, I learned that scars of any type, emotional scars included, serve as reminders not to make the same mistake again. Also, the complete healing of the scar over time, let me know that the Lord can heal our wounds, and the gradual healing supported by the reminder benefit of the scar. Finally, I celebrated in my own way, realizing that the scar did not hinder me, did not hold me back, and it did not hurt my development in any way. Did I have reasons to praise God? Of course, so let me do it again! Praise the Lord!

I am sharing my story with you, in the event that you have some scars. Review the benefits I just mentioned and if you are going through a gradual healing, keep looking toward the day where the scar will be no more! Hallelujah! I sense somebody’s healing is coming! Praise ye the Lord!  Be blessed!

“The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” (Psalm 34:17-19 NLT)

Committed to the climb,

Mark L. King