Scars

Every morning as I perform my morning routine, a scar reminds me of cancer.  The scar won’t disappear.  It will always be there as mute evidence to the struggle of life and death, to earthly terrors that can devastate your life. I see it and immediately the enemy comes to remind me that it could come back.  Before he can get a moment into his attempt to turn me aside the Holy Spirit steps in with positive reinforcement in the form of a song or a verse of Scripture.  You see, while the scare may be a reminder of cancer it is also a testimony to the healing power of Christ, though I know not everyone will see it that way.

Every morning I praise God for a new day and his healing power in my life.  I ask him to continue his work in my life with good health so that I can continue to work for him in his Kingdom, even if my part in his work is small.  Every task in the Kingdom is important, and while mine is such a small part, if I can touch just one life for Christ during my daily routine, it will be worth the doing.  Boring as my daily life must seem to others, to me it is one more opportunity to serve Christ.

I am surprised daily by God’s small miracles – like the mist over the pond on a neighbor’s property, or the brilliance of the sun as it rises over the mountains.  His gift of life to me is no small gift and I would honor him in any way I can.  I used to think that I had to do something big, something really important, to be used of God for his Kingdom’s purposes.  It didn’t occur to me that living your life daily is just as useful. So, while I am not called to preach, and I’m not a great gospel singer of any kind, whatever small work I can do will be enough.

Scars, I’m told, tell us where we’ve been.  They do not dictate where we are going.  And as a coworker reminds me, they do not dictate who we are.  They are reminders but not indicators.  I may have a few scars, both physical and emotional, but they are only scars, healed by the blood of Christ.  Scars tell us what God has brought us through, what he lifted us up out of.  These days the scars remind me that I am a blood-bought daughter of the only Living King.

But for some the scars of life are difficult to overcome.  The enemy reminds them daily that no one cares about them, that they are doomed to a life of difficulty, that they will never go anywhere or do anything, and that all their dreams will be broken and scattered like so much dust over the deserts of the world.  The enemy feeds their loneliness and laughs at their inability to pull themselves out of the depression that sets in when they feel trapped, overwhelmed, and oh so very alone.

In today’s world there are a lot of reasons to be depressed and overwhelmed to the point of desperation.  Recent weather events give you cause to know Christ’s return is imminent.  Where I live unemployment reigns and families are broken.  I imagine it is the same in other areas of the country.  Hope seems to be illusive, almost imaginary, for some people.  They are not simply glum, they are downright gloomy. They seem to plod through life working just to pay the rent and other bills piling up around them, cold, hurt, and beaten down.

How sad their lives are. There seems to be little enough to find joy in and even less reason to rejoice. They don’t smile much.  They seem to be going through the motions like little robots.  They are in survival mode, and they don’t seem to know how to get out of the seemingly endless black hole their lives have become.  I think about all the scars they are accumulating and I wonder if they even guess there is still hope for them.  Do they know Christ is the answer?  Do they know that he can bring peace and hope to their lives?

Someone, maybe me, or another blood-bought sister chick, must take the time to extend a hand to help them up out of that pit.  These hurting people need someone to notice they are hurting – someone who will show them the path to the Balm of Gilead.  We are Christ’s messengers, workers in his Kingdom and it is part of what we are here to do. According to Matthew, it is our calling, our purpose,  and our mission.

Recently I've begun to sense the winds of change.  I know God is going to do something magnificent.  I hope I will follow his leading, take hold of his promises, and continue the great work of the Kingdom at his beckoning and at his leading. Jesus is coming soon!