The scars that we received throughout life suddenly give us a right to carry around the hurt instead of letting it go. And wrinkles...instead of not wanting them or thinking that we are untouchable and will never get them...we are counting a new one every day. In addition, we do our best to hide our painful reminders of our hurts and try to cover up those wrinkles with Botox and makeup. But why do we do this? Why is there is sudden shift from childhood to adulthood. Why are scars and wrinkles something we all the sudden try to hide or ignore the fact that they are happening to us?
Just this past November my youngest son had a craniotomy done. The months before in the waiting were so painful that my body and mind ached wondering if our son was going to make it and be ok. Also, those words lingered in the back in my mind, "what if it's cancer?" It was such a scary time for our family! The whole day was like grinding teeth on chalk! But when we saw the doctor after it was all said and done and he said the amazing words of, "your son did great, we got it all, and we don't think it's cancer" I could have kissed him. Gotten arrested...yes! But I could have! I didn't though. I'm sure he was thankful for my restraint.
Our son was suppose to be in the ICU one night and then in another hospital room for three additional nights. Well, the first night he was in the ICU he was up trying to play with trains on the floor, eating turkey, and wanting to take multiple trips in the wagon that they had. The nurses honestly didn't know what to do with him. The next morning the plastic surgeon came in and the first thing my son said was, "I want pancakes!" The doc said, "well, you be sure to tell the nurse that." Needless to say, our youngest got to eat pancakes and go home the day after surgery.
The doctors and nurses were just amazed at how well he was doing. So, well that day two home from the hospital he gave everyone a look at all of his "tricks" and did a flip on the floor head first and about gave everyone a heart attack. By day four he had his little guitar and was singing, "Rudold the Red Nose Reindeer!" Our son was back to normal in no time and no one could tell that he had surgery...except for the stitches from ear to ear on the top of his head...that would eventually become... a scar.
Scars...they mean something different to me now in my adult life. They are not something to hide or be ashamed of. They are not something to use to make me focus on all of the pain I've been through or a family member has been through. They are to remind me that "I'm alive!" Our son is ALIVE! I'm reminded of the window of my sons ICU room that read "With God All Things Are Possible!"
Scars aren't something to run from but run too in order to remind us of God's faithfulness. Even if I did get a few more wrinkles in the process it doesn't matter. God is faithful! Just recently I had a conversation via text with a friend of mine and we were discussing how hard of a year it had been. My friend mentioned how much the year had taken its toll on her...so much so that she could tell it aged her.
First, of all I told her that she was beautiful! That no matter how much the hard times on this earth aged her she would still be beauty! Secondly, I told her that I was just thinking about scars and wrinkles...how they are not just there to simply be...but they are battle wombs pointing people to our Savior...not a bad thing!
No matter what hardships come our way...God is still faithful!!! Through all of our teardrops, wrinkles, open wounds, scars, pain, and pleasures...God is still faithful! He always provides what we need even if it hurts! Our scars and wrinkles shouldn't be something that we try to hide but that we wear as trophies to say "look what my God has done!" Even if God doesn't pull through the way that we expect Him to, He always does! We have to remember that there is an enemy out there doing all kinds of nasty tricks to try to bring death in any way shape or form that he can in our lives...we have to continue to lean into the Life giver...our Healer...our only Satisfier....Jesus!!!
Seeing that we are entering into a new year...don't forget all that He has done in 2015. I don't know how hard your year has been but you are still here...you are alive!!! The devil didn't get you on your worse day! God is still good! For this new year...the year 2016...learn to embrace the ugly so that people can see a God who is faithful even in the nastiest, scariest parts of our lives! He never leaves! He's always there!!!
Tiffany
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