Scars

After an encounter the other week with the corner of a concrete planter while chasing a squirrel away from the bird feeder, I am going to have two definite scars. Yes two. I ran into the same planter two days in a row. But that's okay, scars tell stories.

I have a scar on the top bone in my right foot. Back in the day, Daddy and I were in the fridge at the same time and a bottle of French dressing fell out and cracked open on my foot. Split the skin and you could see tendon. Mom said I needed stitches and I'm sure she was right. But Daddy just pulled the gap closed with a band aid. I had a ballet recital in a week or so. En Pointe even! But it healed and I danced. Have never looked at a bottle of French dressing the same way since.

There's a scar on my knee from when I was 16 or so. I was running to answer the phone, and I tripped on the concrete around the pool. All for a call in to work. Definitely not worthy of the scar.

Then there's the scar on my forearm from fishing at my Papa's and getting snagged by my cousin Tina's reel. Daddy just looked at it, yanked it out and went on about his business. And I did too, no tears, no mercurochrome or anything. I lived.

Jesus had scars and He showed those crucifixion marks to the disciples, especially to Thomas who had his doubts. The scars were real and they were proof the plan of God from the foundation of the world had taken place. Thomas’ doubts disappeared and he declared Jesus his Lord and God!

Paul told His readers in Galatians 6 “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” In other words, he lived what he believed. And there were consequences. My study notes tell me the Greek word for marks “denotes the brands used to mark a slave as the property of a certain master…Paul uses the word to refer to the scars he received during his missionary activity. These scars branded him as a slave of Christ.” Are we really living out our faith? Enough to be different and stand apart? And even receive the marks of ridicule for our stance? Our shunned because of our faith? Or laughed at for our hope?

Believers, let's make sure we're careful to read, study and understand God's instructions in His holy Word as to how we live our lives. We don't add Jesus to our lives, our lives are submitted to His Lordship and they belong to Him. Paul Washer said, “If following Jesus Christ doesn't cost you anything, it's because you've bought into American Christianity.” We were slaves to sin, but bought by the Lord to be His slaves. Let's live our beliefs, even if there's a price. Nothing we could ever lose in this world is worth more than the precious Blood of our Savior!