By His Stripes We Are Healed
I spent a good portion of my life covering a large surgical scar on my right arm. Wearing long sleeves all the way through a Kansas summer is not for the faint of heart. I just couldn't handle the questioning looks, or the off-handed comments. Covering up, I could protect my scar...and my heart.
It's not my only scar. I have a small spot on my leg and one on my back. Those used to be moles that were suspicious, so a surgeon biopsied them. They were benign. I have two tiny dots on my belly. Those are from my laparoscopic hysterectomy last year, and then there's the c-shaped scar on my left breast. I went through two invasive biopsies there. Also, benign.
My two latest scars are on my right breast and under my right arm. I had breast cancer. It's gone now. Every day the marks get more faint. Soon, they will be barely noticeable. My childhood hero, Evel Knievel, said it best, "Bones heal, pain is temporary, (and) chicks dig scars..."
That place on my arm is a reminder; a visual cue of the battle I fought. Malignant melanoma took a hunk of hide off my bicep. Everyone has scars. Some hide them better than others. Those telltale marks on the skin are visible proof of a change that has taken place. Many people have invisible scars, as well. They cover and protect them, like I do my right arm.
When doubting Thomas touched Christ's hands and side, he felt the scars that lingered. And he believed. He knew that this was the Christ, our risen Savior. Thomas saw visible proof of what our Lord had gone through. Jesus endured the cross, so we would be healed. Every scar I have, makes me who I am. Inside and out, I am a child of God.
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Female in Motion Exercise Update: I walked 1/2 mile three times last week. Moving my body in the fresh air feels like an affirmation of life. I like it!
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Notable Quote:
"God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars."--Elbert Hubbard, American writer
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