Look At My Scars

Oh, we are a prideful people. Just when we think we have this Jesus thing all figured out, God teaches us a lesson or two that shows us we still have a long way to go. Like the other day . . . at Dairy Queen.

That's where I met a new friend -  a guy in his upper 30's. He just wanted to talk with someone so I agreed. We ended up talking for two hours. As we talked I examined him. Slender build, 
short scraggly beard, a camo baseball cap worn backwards, and the word ISAIAH on his forearm.

He unloaded the story of his life, his recent car accident, which had left him near death. He spoke of prescribed pain killers from his doctor - opioids - which had then turned into an addiction. There were other things but that's enough to let you get a picture of my friend.

As we talked he kept referring to the Book of Isaiah. He has a Bible app on his phone and kept looking up passages like this one . . .

"6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord." - Isaiah 55:6-8

Then he began to speak about his son. You'll never guess what his son's name is. But then he said something that REALLY got my attention. And I mean REALLY! It turned my whole perspective around. It made me stop looking without and I began to look within.

I mentioned his car accident. My friend stood up from the booth where we were sitting and said, "Look at my scars," He pulled down a compression sock to reveal two LONG scars on his lower leg and another just like them on his upper thigh. Then, raising his tee shirt, he said "and my side".

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” - John 20: 24-27

Is there something you are doubting today? Is your faith weak like Thomas, and me? What will it take for us to fully place our faith in Christ? Do we need to actually see the scars before we believe?

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:28-29

If our faith is only strong when we "see a sign" we have much farther to go in our walk with the Lord. We ALL have scars. How will we use them? As an invitation to a pity party? Or to glorify God who saved us, who died for us, who resurrected us from the trouble we were in? Praise God no matter what might come your way. It is only right. HE bore the scars intended for us.

"By His Stripes we are healed." - Isaiah

Scars - I Am They
Why Jesus Kept His Scars - Matt Maher

Beneath The Surface

I have heard it said that nine tenths of an iceberg is actually hidden beneath the surface. From what I have observed in life, the same thing can be said for us humans as well.

Life is full of "situations" and "drama", lessons learned and things best forgotten. What we must do is remember one thing. Just like the iceberg, God has given US the ability to "float" as well.

Reality check - ice is heavy. So why doesn't it sink? It is its nature to float. Ice simply cannot sink. Why? Because that's the way God made it. He designed it that way.

We humans are slightly different.  Although we desire to float above life's struggles, our heads above water, sometimes we feel like we're going to sink. And sadly, sometimes we do.

Did you know it is actually easier to float in salt water than fresh water? I should have taken swimming lessons in the ocean rather the ole swimmin' hole. I would have had a better shot at learning.

We all have things hidden under the surface. They can weigh us down tremendously. We have  the desire to float - our heads raised above the surface of it all - but how do we do that?

I think God had our survival in mind when He gave us earthly friends to talk to. God places people in our lives to support os and encourage us . . . to help us keep our heads above water. Do you have friends that do that for you? I do. They are a gift from God! Treasure them. Cherish them. God has given them to you! Why? Because He loves you!

God wishes that none of us would perish (2 Peter 3:9). He has made it possible for us to have eternal life with Him (John 3:16). All we have to do is surrender our hearts and will to Him and we will float higher than any iceberg ever could.

Seek out your trusted friends when it feels like you're going to sink. That's why they are there! God has given them to you. Use them. Lean on them! When we're drowning, don't we always reach out in some way?

"9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 5:9-12

God has created us, in His love, to be in relationship with Him. AND to be in relationship FOR Him. We all have scars, we all are just glued together pieces, many of which are beneath the surface. Let us go to God with our broken pieces and let us let Him make us whole once again.

Pieces - Red

Touch My Scars

Have you ever had to bury one of your children, been addicted to drugs, battled cancer, spent time in jail, gone through a messy divorce or had to deal with a loved one's suicide? There's a job waiting for you if you want it. And only you can do it.

After Jesus died, he re-appeared in front of His disciples. Not as a ghost, but as actual flesh and bone. Jesus taught Thomas something and He taught US something well. Keep your attention on His scars and what they did to those He showed them to.

^"19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." - John 20:19-20

Jesus showed them His scars. His disciples were overjoyed. Now watch what happened when His disciples tried telling Thomas that they had seen The Lord.

^"24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” - John 20:24-25

Thomas didn't believe them. Even though they had seen Jesus and were excited about it. Thomas hadn't seen the physical evidence for himself. He refused to believe. But then . . .

^"26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

"²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” - John 20:26:28

Thomas saw the scars and he believed. You and I can tell people about Jesus but they won't believe us unless they encounter Him for themselves. Another thing they need to see in the scars. OUR scars.

We NEED those scars. If we try telling someone what it's like to battle cancer but haven't gone through the chemo and radiation ourselves, it's hard for someone to believe us when we tell them they can do it. But if a cancer survivor speaks to a cancer patient in the hospital, suddenly there is hope in the new patient for getting through the trial because he or she is listening to someone tell them it IS possible. They see "the scars."

We can tell people about Jesus but unless people see evidence of Him in our lives they won't believe. People need to see our scars. And to really have a lasting, permanent effect on someone, let them "touch" your scars. Let them feel the pain you went through. Let them see your tears, your emotions.

I got saved when a friend showed me HER scars. She was crying as she told me how her husband didn't go with her to church. I felt convicted as I saw her weeping over it because not going to church with MY wife was something I was guilty of too. I went to church with my wife the very next Sunday and met Jesus there while sitting with her in a pew.


People seek honesty and truth. We can tell people something honestly yet they still won't believe us. We can give them books to read. We can give them a Bible, but unless they see the truth lived out in our lives . . . until they touch the scars . . . they simply will not believe.

Do we have what it takes to let a stranger touch us in such a way? We have the scars. Let us use them for God's glory. Doing so will help US heal at the same time.


Why Jesus Kept His Scars

Tattoo

I was talking with a young friend of mine a few weeks ago about some of the decisions we humans make. How sometimes we can think we're making the right decision but then afterwards . . . well, they sometimes turn out to be mistakes.

For example, my young friend has some tattoos. She has one on her right arm and one on her left arm. As she was showing me the one her right arm she said, "I don't really like this one. If I could I'd get rid of it but, oh well."

Isn't that the way life goes sometimes? We make decisions and then regret them later. Have you ever made a decision like that? One you wished you could change? I know I have.

It's always good to have a clear mind when making important decisions. It's never a good idea to make life-changing decisions while we are mentally out of sorts. Yet, it seems as if that's exactly when we choose to make some of the biggest decisions of our lives. We end up with "tattoos" on our lives that we don't really want.

Our problem is that when we are in those moments we tend to be focused on one of two things - ourselves or what someone else thinks about . . . ourselves.

The cost of decisions begins to increase wit age, especially through the teenage years as more and more "options" become available. So how can we avoid those high-cost mistakes, those tattoos that will stay with us for the rest of our lives?

The first thing I would do is start living a lifestyle that doesn't feature any of the tough decisions. What do I mean? I don't allow myself to get into situations where I would make dumb decisions. For example, "Would you like a beer?" is always answered with "No, thanks." Why? Because, although drinking A beer might be alright. Drinking LOTS of beers leads to bad decisions. I'm just not going to go down that road. It leads to "waking up with tattoos." Know what I mean?

I don't smoke, I don't drink. I don't have sex outside of marriage. I don't steal. I don't lie. I don't even watch television because all those things lead to "tattoos" I would rather not have.

I have found that life gets a whole lot less complicated when I give all of my decisions to Jesus. If I run everything past Him and His Holy Spirit, I have found that life gets a whole lot simpler. Oh, I still have scars. I have been wounded emotionally and physically. But I don't have any tattoos.

The great thing about a life in Christ is that, even if we wake up in the morning and find ourselves with a new tattoo or two (that sounded weird) is that . . . now listen to this because it's important . . .unlike my young friends tattoo that she no longer wanted, Jesus can remove all of our unwanted tattoos from life. He can make them all fade away? Why? Why would He do that?  Because He loves us and He has the power to "make all things new."

"5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” - Revelation 21:5

Do you have any unwanted tattoos? Let Jesus remove them today. He can make you brand new.

The following is a song, written from the perspective of a father, to his daughter . . . who became a tattoo in his life when the mother chose to abort her. Jesus can remove the pain from such tattoos but you have to want that. You have to trust Him. Please, do so today.

Lucy - Skillet

Fall

I find it interesting, how God works. It's seldom in a way we would expect. Yet it is ALWAYS in a way that brings Him glory and praise. And here I am, writing about how God has placed me in front of this keyboard today to tell you a story of pain and suffering that transformed itself into a story about grace and mercy. Of love and of hope.

It's fall right now where we live. Leaves are turning colors. The temperature is at or near the freezing mark most mornings. We and the sun get less and less face-time. All the plants are either going dormant or are just downright dying. And baseball season winds down to it's "fall classic" - The World Series. Fall can be a very beautiful time of year but it also can be a very depressing time of the year.

Recently, a friend of mine sent me a text message, telling me the cancer she and her doctors had
battled a few years ago was back. I went to visit her and her husband this past weekend. What a blessing that visit was.

My friend, her husband and I visited for over an hour. Talking about surgeries, and treatments, our children and life. We laughed, recalling stories from our childhoods and from our children's childhoods. We had a great visit, long overdue.

As I was leaving, I glanced back at my friends, a loving husband helping his wife, still sore from her surgery, back up the steps to their home. What a picture of love and compassion and grace. Their family has certainly endured their share of pain and suffering in this life, yet more is on the way for my friends. They will need our prayers.

Maybe it was the visit with my friend and the cancer that has taken so much from her life. Maybe it was the coming World Series about to begin. But my thoughts turned to a baseball player and a story I vaguely remembered from 25 years ago. The story of Dave Dravecky.

Dave Dravecky led the San Diego Padres to the World Series in 1987. In 1988 he was traded to the San Francisco Giants. He was an All-Star, and led the Giants to the playoffs. Then he noticed a lump forming on his pitching arm. It was cancer.

Surgery followed where the tumor, and 50% of his deltoid muscle, was removed. Doctors told him he would never pitch again. They didn't know Dave Dravecky very well.

Soon he was soft-tossing, then came a minor league assignment. On August 10, 1989 he returned to the Giants, pitching eight innings. The Giants won 4-3 that day. His next start in Montreal was the last game he would ever play. He pitched three no-hit innings but then, in the sixth inning, during a pitch to Tim Raines, Dravecky's arm shattered. He was taken from the field on a stretcher, receiving a standing ovation from the Montreal crowd. The cancer has returned.

Doctors had to amputate his pitching arm and shoulder. His career as a baseball player obviously was over. His childhood dream, removed, along with his arm . . . his livelihood. More than enough to induce depression in ANY one. But . . . I think I forgot to tell you something. Dave Dravecky . . . is a Christian.

Followers of Jesus are not immune to pain by any means. It might actually increase. Certainly there is more persecution, more martyrdom. The thing about Christians is what they have been known to do with the hardships they encounter. It's what they do as they face the pain in their lives.

Dave Dravecky now travels the country as a motivational speaker. He has written a few books about his life, the cancer that ended his career, and the God who gave him hope during the darkest of times.

My friend, the one I visited the other day, is still recovering from her second cancer surgery. She told me during my visit that one of her nurses called her inspirational and that my friend had changed the nurses life, simply by how she handled herself during her whole ordeal.

"5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:5

I really encourage you to watch this video. It's a short video about Dave Dravecky and how Jesus led him through the darkest of times. But it is also a story about what Dave has done AFTER those dark times. He has shone his light, the light of Christ, for all to see. We should consider the lives of these two Christians, Dave and my friend, and follow their example. Our pain and suffering may not be as great as theirs, but we can still shine. Shine On!

Dave Dravecky Interview

 

This story is dedicated to Ali and Dave, to Sara, and to Dave and Jan Dravecky

 

Endurance web site