"Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark! "

Lately, I have been pondering on how God allows us

 to go through and grow through the trials in our lives.

In my church (and probably in yours), there are all kinds of people. 

 The ones who are my heroes & encouragers are those who have grown through their trials.  

How easily we can sit in a pew thinking -

 "That person is a super christian. It must be because their life is easy". 

 The opposite is usually true.  

Those "great" Christians are usually the ones who have the biggest scars and deepest hurt, but by God's grace and power they have not allowed Satan to have victory over their lives.

What got me thinking on all of this? 

Well, I'll tell you.

I was looking over my pictures from before I left South Africa in February.

As I was getting my house in order and ready to pack everything up, 

I decided to do a big "spring cleaning" to make the house look great

 for the next people who would move in.

One of those cleaning chores involved taking down this huge "curtain box" 

(you know, the wooden frame that your curtains or drapes are hung in).

That thing was huge and heavy!

After almost killing myself, I got it loose and lifted it up.

The weight was too much for me, so the beam of wood slipped out of my hand 

and hit me right on the face.

But, I didn't give up, I wanted to get everything clean, 

so I gathered what was left of my strength and got ahold of it.

Finally, I was able to set it on the floor.

I was reveling in my victory over the "curtain box"

(ha ha ha, you thought you won, but I tackled you down!),

 when I realized that when it hit me in the face it almost knocked me out.

My head hurt and my face was numb.

I put my hand up to see why it was so numb.

When I looked at my hand, there was blood.

Yep, that "curtain box" got me right in the face.

Not only did it hit me hard, but it hit me so hard 

that 2 of my teeth went right through my upper lip.

"Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark!", I said.

Well, don't they say that 'a scratch adds character?'

Actually, it healed rather quickly and the scar on my face is unnoticeable.

Sometimes, things do happen in our lives that hurt us badly and may even leave a scar.

What do you do about those things?

Do you use that experience the rest of your life as an excuse for not obeying and serving God or do you allow that "scar" to be healed by the Balm of Gilead?

It may leave a mark, so ask yourself,

"if I am going to go through it, will I grow through it?

Ps 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; 

for I am weak: 

O LORD, heal me; 

for my bones are vexed.

Ac 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, 

and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed;

 lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, 

and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.