Pastor Ted

I've got this scar on my left arm from where I fell into a cow feeder when I was about 8 years old.  On my other arm I have a scar from a motorcycle accident about 15 years ago.  I've got another one on my leg and my Mom's words ring in my ears, "Don't pick that, It'll leave a scar!".  She was right!

Those are the one's you can see.  I've got more than my share of emotional & spiritual scars as well.  Those experiences of my life that my Dad has always told me "I need to learn from".  He was right too!  

We've got all sorts of new medications that we can rub on the cut or scratch right away and it will leave the sight with virtually NO scar.  Boy, I wish that were true of my emotional and spiritual bruises.  What do I do with those?

Actually, God has a very resourceful way for you and I to treat those bruises and scars --- we are to use them!  Listen to what Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians: "Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel!  He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us." (The Messege Bible)

As I see it's a matter of perspective.  I can choose to keep my eyes focused on my own struggles and "hard times", wallowing in my own self pity, feeling so sorry for myself.  OR ... I can get my focus back on God and ask Him to use me to help someone else in the same way that I have been helped.  Perspective -- not on my self but on helping someone else.

My daughter died at the age of six.  It was devastating.  I was angry with God for doing that, after all, I had given my life to His service!  How dare He treat me that way!  But, I can't tell you the number of times I have sat with families who have lost a loved one and been able to genuinely say: "I know a little of what you must be feeling.  I've been there".  I've been able to share the grief as well as the feeling of the all encompassing presence of God.

Maybe you've been dealing with an emotional scar for a while now.  Try turning it into something that God can use through you to help someone else.  It'll change your perspective ... and maybe someone else's too!