Every Wound Leaves A Scar, Every Scar Tells A Story Of Strength And Survival

I have a huge scar on the side of my face from brain surgery. It goes from the top of my head to my left ear. The surgeon did a wonderful job of hiding it. I also have plates and screws. It is a constant reminder of that brain tumor. That’s how I look at scars. They are reminders of something in the past, and hopefully reminders of healing that took place.

When my daughter Rosemary was very young she fell down the stairs with her doll stroller. Hours before it happened I felt this strong urge to pray. I had no idea why. I didn’t know what to pray for I just obeyed that urgent feeling in my heart. Several hours later, she fell and cut her face open and blood was spurting out. I didn’t panic. I immediately tried to stop the bleeding and did all I could to take control. We didn’t have cell phones at the time so I couldn’t reach my husband. I called my Mom and asked her to come and stay with the kids and as soon as John got home we would take Rosemary to the hospital. We drove the 45 minutes to the hospital and they quickly took charge. I know it was just the grace of God that the doctor on call that night in the ER was a plastic surgeon! What were the chances? He stitched the deep cut and it literally never left a scar. Amazing! It was a traumatic situation but I knew the Lord had called me to pray to fortify me for what was coming. I was prepared to handle the situation and I believe He blessed us with that doctor.

D.L. Moody told a story about scars that I have shared with many young people. He told about a man who was teaching his son about the scars the world leaves on your life, and how he could avoid them. He told him to go get a piece of wood, a nail and a hammer. He then had him pound the nail into the wood. He told him to remove the nail which he did. He then told him to remove the hole the nail had made. The boy looked at him puzzled and told him he couldn’t remove the hole. The dad told the son that hole represented the scar of the world and once you had done the sinful things that produced scars, they couldn’t be removed.

It was a very powerful story and a wonderful teaching tool for me as a Mom. You want your children to grow up loving and serving the Lord but you can’t force them and you can’t prevent them from making mistakes that leave scars. However, the wonderful thing about scars is that they heal! Healing brings fresh hope whether it is a physical scar or an emotional one.

 There is a tree in our yard (my photo today) that was badly damaged in an ice storm several years ago. The branches snapped off all during the night as the ice thickened on the branches. It left those huge scars on the side of the tree. However, when spring came the tree bloomed and leafed out and continues to thrive, despite the hideous scars!

I literally have physical scars from head to toe from so many surgeries. I’m so grateful for the new lease on life each new scar has given me. You might have scars from abusive situations. Scars from drug and alcohol addictions. It doesn’t matter. They are simply scars, reminders that healing has taken place! Let your scars help heal someone else by proving there is a hope, a purpose, a healing to every situation and may those scars become symbols of a fresh start.