September 3, 2014
The Power of Your Story
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story,” (Psalm 107:2 NIV)
Friend to Friend
Like the spine of a good book, scars—by their very nature—imply there’s a story to tell. They represent a wrinkle in time in which a person’s life is changed forever, and serve as permanent reminders of an incident that, in one way or another, has made a lasting impression on one’s life.
Calvin pulls up his pant leg to reveal where two bullets pierced his flesh during the Korean War. Melanie wears a gold chain just below where an incision was made across her delicate neck to save her life from thyroid cancer. Peeking just below the hem of Gayle’s capri pants lies a reminder of a knee surgery where a tumor was removed.
Each scar represents a moment in time or a passage of time when something happened to us or through us, which we will never forget.
I have plenty of scar stories. There’s one on my lip that I got when I was six years old. I disobeyed my mom and crossed a busy street to see my best friend...only to promptly fall on a nail, which poked through my lip.
There’s one on my knee where I ran into a parked car while riding my bicycle and not paying attention. There’s another one on my forehead where I accidentally stuck a pencil in my noggin in the first grade and broke the lead off trying to get it out. And then there’s the one on my shin I got when I disobeyed my mom again and shaved my legs after she told me I couldn’t.
But some scars on my body aren’t so humorous. For example, two crescent shaped scars just below my belly button remind me of laparoscopic surgeries to try and discover why I was unable to conceive. They remind me of the years my husband, Steve, and I struggled with infertility and the loss of a child.
Then there’s the scar on my right breast that reminds me of the weeks of waiting and wondering whether or not the lump was malignant or benign. No, not all scars are humorous.
Perhaps the most painful scars that I bear are the ones you cannot see. You know the ones I’m talking about. We all have them. They are the scars on our hearts and in our souls.
The scar of rejection from a father who didn’t know how to love me. The scar of growing up in a home riddled with alcohol and physical abuse. The scar of disappointment at the loss of a child. The scar of broken dreams.
We receive scars in one of two ways: what has been done to us by other people or what has been done through us by our own mistakes and failures. Either way, I believe that scars are not something that we need to hide or be ashamed of, but rather an invitation to share the healing power of Jesus Christ with a hurting world. For a scar, by its very definition, implies healing.
Jesus had scars—one on each hand, on each foot, and on His side. Those scars were precious to Him. That’s one way His disciples recognized Him when He returned.
And it could be that people will recognize Jesus when you aren’t ashamed of your scars—when you tell your story of emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational healing.
I’d love to hear your story! You can email me at [email protected]. While I may not be able to reply to each email, I will read and cherish each of your stories.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, thank You for the scars in my life. Each one reminds me of a wound that You have healed. Show me with whom I should share my story. Lead me to the person who needs to know what You have done in my life.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Today, share your story with at least one person. It could be a co-worker, a friend, or even me.
If you’re ready to share, click over to my Facebook page and leave a comment that says, “I’m ready to tell my story.”
More From the Girlfriends
There is so much power in your story! If you would like to learn more about how to turn your pain into purpose, your messes into your message, and your hurt into hope, check out my book, Your Scars are Beautiful to God: Finding Peace and Purpose in the Hurts of Your Past. True freedom comes when you use what you have gone through to minister to someone else. Also, if you have a wound that is yet to heal and become a scar, this resource will help you in that area as well.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 1311
Huntersville, NC 28070
[email protected]
www.girlfriendsingod.com
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