Angela: There were times when I looked down at my hands and I’d began to feel embarrassed. No, it’s not my weight or the extra cerebral palsy movements. My scars, especially on my left hand, jump out at me. Most of my scabs fall off and leave permanent scars. Honestly, most people may not even notice, but I see them.
The other day as I looked down at one of the scars, I just started smiling. I thought about how I got it. I can’t remember how old I was, but I know I was in elementary school. I had the famous 90’s bright red and yellow wheelchair that had a flame going down the side that said, “Hot Wheels.” My brother, Jeremiah, and his best friend, Bubba, were playing basketball on our rocky driveway. Every so often, they would come spin me, and I’d laugh hysterically. I felt so special that they took time to include me in having fun. Once they did it a little too hard; I tipped over, and cut my hand on the rocks. My laughter suddenly turned to crying. Then, I remember…Bubba picking me up and putting me on his lap while my brother ran to get medicine and a band-aid; Jeremiah putting iodine on the cut and I made that awful face as he blew on it so it would sting less. I remember them trying to make me laugh by telling me how I flew, which kept me from getting too upset.
So, I think again about what the scar represents. It tells the story of two teenage boys that loved and adored a little pig-tailed girl. They taught her that she could be a part of all the games that the neighborhood kids were playing, which instilled the belief of being a part of any activity the rest of her life, including the ones that people told her she’d never do.
Those scars tell of who I have become!
Jesus reminded me that His scars tell an even greater love story. The wounds on his hands and his feet left scars that open the eternal gates of Heaven for you and me. Those scars that Thomas saw and touched, told in John 20:24-29, are the external marks of an everlasting love for us. I picture Jesus running His finger over each bump of skin of the scars and thinking of every person that He paid the price for; how He smiles at the thought of you walking through life with Him and how you delight in His love. I imagine seeing His scars and being thankful that my identity is found in Him, rather than in my disability or who other people say I am.
You may be thinking that He couldn’t have died for you, especially not after some of the choices that you have made. You may even doubt He knows your name, so how could Jesus think of you when He looks at His scars? Know that just because you doubt it is true, doesn’t make Him stop loving you. He wants you to know Him in the most intimate way. In the most well-known bible verse, God declares His love for you to the universe.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
Please, don’t let the familiarity of the verse rob the sweetness of the greatest promise in history! YOU are a part of the world! He gave YOU Jesus, so that YOU would be forgiven and free! He invites YOU to be with Him forever!
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)
I’m so thankful for Jesus’ scars and how they secure my place in Heaven! I pray that you have an encounter with Jesus and feel His love around you! Understanding your scars don’t define your destiny, but radiate His relentless faithfulness! Know that you are precious and priceless in His sight! Watch His love conquer all your fears and failures! And experience your completeness in His holiness!
