Motivational Monday - Wear Your Scars

This is Tuesday...yesterday was Veteran's Day.  Thank you all who served, including my father-in-law, brother-in-law and husband.  

I have been listening for months to a radio station - "Voice of the Master" - Christian broadcasting.  What I enjoy is all the positive pod casts.  Yesterday, did not disappoint.  Al and I even looked up and listened to it again last night.   Dave Roever, Healing the Wounds of War:  
https://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/healing-the-wounds-of-war/

He has an amazing testimony.   I won't try to repeat it, I couldn't do it justice, his passion is moving.  I would encourage you to go back and listen. 

I have just been though an emotional battle.  The war is still going on, as we are still living and breathing.   Today, I will motivate us - yes, motivate us to wear our scars proudly.  Dave Roever, had his face almost blown off - yet, he somehow through all that - lives Romans 8:28   "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who have been called according to his purpose." 

"How in the world can 'this' be working for our good!"  "What's the lesson? How can I help?  Really, Lord...really?!"  I know, I've had some shameful and selfish thoughts.  Often times, we carry around these thoughts and they weight us down, dragging us to the bottom of an emotional pit.  I've visited that place and prefer not to go back.  

A few Sundays ago, the whole service, from songs, reading to lesson was for me, my healing.   One line, my nephew, Avery, said that I've repeated over and over since..."God doesn't owe me anything."  He doesn't!  Avery told a little story of how at his work they had the president of the company come in for a brainstorming session.  All the employees were gathered and each said something enlightening.  Until, they came to one employee who asked the president, "why did you take my foot heater away?"  She went right to the top...the president, I'm sure he had no idea why, other than it was a fire hazard.  She had the audience of the president of the company and she stated her complaint.  We have the audience of God almighty, he can handle our complaints - only He knows the whole picture!  He sees our beginning to end.   In a book I recently read the illustration of life was like this:  our life is like a parade, as it passes, we only see the float in front of us - we enjoy it, cheer and wait for the next.  God sees the whole parade - beginning and end.  When we look at our life or trials in this way, IF we put our faith in Him.   "IF," I know first hand how hard that is!  But, I have nothing else to put my faith in.  Another line from a lesson my brother taught was..."when life leaves you at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  

I tell you all this to say, yep even my healing was like a parade.  When I reflect on the past several weeks, my studies, books I've read, pod casts I've listened to and Sunday school lessons, it all has been preparing me to say "yes, all things work together for the good...."  Even if I don't know how it will....I know it will...I've tied my knot, I'm hanging on, God doesn't owe me anything and yes, "ALL" things work together for our good!

Dave Roever said some pretty enlightening things in the pod cast about his scars and how they opened doors to help others heal as well.  He had a line I can't stop thinking of, "there are thousands of things in life that hurts, but only One that can heal."  

Lots of things hurt in our life, some scars are physical, some emotional and some the result of both.  These scars reflect sometimes the most terrible things in our life.   How do we embrace them?  How did he embrace a face that no longer looked like him?  He did this, we can do this, with our faith.  "Each  man is given a measure of faith" exercise it, build up your faith muscles, wear your scars proudly so others may see them and what you've been through.   Understand that that a scar was given to you - for your good - IF you know God works it for your good.  He is the master of your parade, this float in front of you may not be what you wanted to see, it will too will pass along and if we hang on, tie a knot, HE will reveal to us...maybe not in this life....but, we will understand these scars and see the whole picture someday.  

I only hope that if you are still reading this...I know it's a long one...you will reflect on it, be blessed by it.  You too have scars, I encourage you to look at them in a new light..."it was for my good" did I want it to be different, sure!  Did we have other dreams and wishes, sure!  Do we know HE has us, you bet!  He has something wonderful in store for each of us, might not be what we wanted or maybe we are still waiting....tie your knot and hang on.  Jesus has this too!

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.