(Today’s my birthday!): Scars Aren’t Always Bad.

Scars, I’m loaded with them.  I can tell you the story of each one.  One that is especially memorable is on my left forearm.  I was installing vinyl tiles at our cabin.  (…and Praise God we sold that money pit.)   I was on the last tile and sliced into my arm with the box cutter.  A few hours later I had four stitches and a scar. 

In 2nd grade I skipped school—Yes, I skipped school in the second grade.  I was a bit of a handful.  When I opened the storm door a gust of wind caught it.  I put my left hand up to stop the door.  My arm broke through the glass up to my elbow.  There was blood, lots of blood.  Lesson learned:  Don’t use your hand to stop fast moving glass.   Remember I was in the 2nd grade and cleaver enough to cut classes. 

Most of us carry scars on our body and like me you can recall all the details.  You see the scars and think, oh yeah, that was when—blah, blah, blah happened.  Some scars are visible, but others are hidden deep within, too painful to share.  So, how do we handle the scars in our life?  Do we cork up the pain?  Pretend the scars aren’t there.

 What do you think of this statement? Scars aren’t always bad.  You may disagree.  After all the very word scar implies imperfection, a defect of some kind.  Also, we know, where there’s a scar at some point there was pain.   So how can a scar be a good thing?   Scars are good when they are a reminder of how far you’ve come, but bad when they make you a prisoner of your past.

Jesus carries the defect and pain of scars.  In fact, in heaven the only imperfection that we will see are the scars on Jesus’s hands, feet, and side.   These scars will be a reminder to the population of heaven—that the Lamb was slain.  Why did he willingly take the pain and the forever scars?  He did it to remove my scars—my imperfections—my flaws—my past.  They are gone—erased—forever.   

In Revelations 5:6-10 it says, And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne…stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne…when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.” (NKJV)

All my scars, the ones I see and the ones hidden away will one day be forever erased.  I’ll remember them NO MORE.  But for now, they remind me how far I’ve come.

(Today’s my birthday!):  Scars Aren’t Always Bad.

By Beverly Roberts

"It’s Com’n Back"

I finished my leaf raking about a week ago.  Well, actually it’s not finished, but I’m done.  The next day I looked out the window at the nearly leafless backyard and a sigh of satisfaction escaped my lips.  That feeling was relatively short lived when reality set in—it’s all com’n back. But first spring will come and along with that my other yard enemy—weeds in the flowerbed.  How I detest them!  I’m ashamed to admit some weeds have actually grown up to 3 feet tall.  I was under the allusion that they were blending in—almost unnoticeable. 

For years, I weeded the garden pulling up the weeds the best I could and if the root would snap off so be it.  The ugly part was gone and everything was lookn’ good.  The weeds were out of sight, mulch down and the perennials were coming up.   I figured, why deal with what was beneath the soil.  Right!   (I apply this principle to house cleaning as well; don’t look in the drawers, closets, or under the beds.)

The truth is I’ve been working on these flowerbeds for years fighting the same weeds.  A few years ago I decided to be proactive.  So I got a bottle of weed killer.  I was ready.  This time when the weeds would snap off leaving the root in the soil I sprayed the root with the killer chemical.  My brilliant discovery—if you don’t deal with the root…it’s com’n back. 

You may be thinking, “Anyone can point out the problem.  How about some of that chemical killer you were talking about.”  Just so happens…I got it.  It’s forgiveness.  Colossians 3:13 tells us to, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  

Apply forgiveness to that root of bitterness and it will go away for good.  If you don’t—It’s Coming Back!   You have a Savior who has forgiven you.  Now, you forgive and be whole.   

"It’s Com’n Back"

By Beverly Roberts

“An Overflowing Joy”

In the 10th grade I had a friend that was such an encourager.  I remember the first day we meet she came from across the school lobby towards me with a huge smile on her face.  She pointed at the pin on my coat and said, “Me too!”  I looked down and remembered the button on my lapel that was a heart with the words “Jesus Lives Here!”  Excitedly she repeated… “Me too!”  Then she asked me if I was a Christian.  This was the beginning of a two year friendship that was richly rewarding to me. 

God had gifted this young lady with a joyful personality and an overflowing love for the Lord and people.  She spoke with such a contagious enthusiasm about the Lord and how it was a privilege to serve him—in high school.  She loved the Lord and wasn’t ashamed who knew.   The Lord had changed her life and she freely and passionately wanted others to know the secret to eternal life.  I was a better person for having her in my life for those two years.    

I Thessalonians 5:11 (The Message) “…speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.”

Have you ever had this kind of impact on another?  This week purpose in your heart to be an encourager—building up others in the things of the Lord.  Be the one who inspires others to have a joy in Christ that overflows.

“An Overflowing Joy”

By Beverly Roberts