Guest Blogger: Jan Sherman
An Excerpt from Jan’s book Organized Mess.
About thirty years ago I had arthroscopic knee surgery. My knee was painful, and I had no choice but to go through with the planned surgery. My Mom prayed with me just before I went into surgery, and when everything was done, the doctor came in looking a bit puzzled. My Mom asked him what was wrong, and he said, “Well that’s the thing. Nothing was wrong. Jan’s knee is 100% ok. We looked around several times to see what needed to be cleaned out so Jan could heal, and there was nothing wrong!”
My Mom immediately burst out saying, “Thank you, Lord!” God answered our prayers! From that point on, I’ve never had a problem or pain in my knee. God healed my body, and I was so grateful. However, I’ve often wondered why I had to endure the surgery if God intended to heal me all along. Maybe the doctor needed to hear that God ultimately was the healer? I don’t know that answer, but now I have four little scars to remind me that God indeed heals today!
Our scars always remind us of something we’ve been through. Maybe that reminder is physical. Maybe it’s not a great memory, but it’s our story. Our oldest son had a three-wheeler accident when he was about thirteen years old, and it’s left a nasty burn scar on his arm. However, he liked that scar when he was a teenager because he had a story to tell, and the girls loved it! That was his story, and he was proud of it.
Do you have scars that tell a story? Are those scars physical or maybe emotional? My prayer is that we all can turn our emotional scars from pain to joy. But how? Maybe you have a scar from an unwelcome loss, and you want to do everything except remember how it got there. Sometimes we don’t see the hand of God in our lives until years after the scar has appeared. Sometimes it takes a long time to see how God has replaced our sorrow with His joy. All my scars were not happy ones. The emotional scars of losing Brandon at age nineteen were devastating, but several years later I saw how Brandon’s life had touched others and how it still gives them joy and hope. This gives me comfort.
Always remember that Jesus endured scars for us and that His scars remind us of how much He loved us. Everything that I write is to encourage you and remind you that if you choose, your hope can be in the Lord. He can be the one to give you unspeakable joy. He can be the one who turns your sorrow into joy. Thank the Lord for your scars, and please tell your story to encourage someone else today!
Psalm 30:5 – Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!
Be-IN-Couraged and know that although we have scars, they can be a reminder that God heals and that He can turn our sorrow into joy.
Follow Jan Online:
Facebook: @praywithjan
Instagram: beincouraged411
Website: https://www.be-in-couraged.com/
