By Lynette Siebrasse
Most of us live in fear of hearing those words from our physician. The truth is we all have cancer. Some of us get the kind that is treated by surgery, chemo and/or radiation. All of us have cancer of the soul. I see my scars and I think they are so ugly and it reminds me of all that has been taken from me and how my life has been turned upside down since hearing those feared words from my doctor, "You have cancer." I started thinking, "I wish I could see my scars as beautiful."
God gave me the thought that my scars are beautiful, they mean LIFE!
Without my scars I would be the same on the outside but dying on the inside as the ugly cancer grew, spread and silently took over my body. My scars mean that I gave my doctor permission to dig out that ugly cancer that wanted to take over and kill me.
My scars are beautiful, it means I am alive and fighting!
The same is said of our souls. Our sin and selfishness, of living for ourselves or even trying to be "good enough" is cancer. Cancer that can wait or disguise itself as being a good person. We tell ourselves we haven't stolen anything or killed anyone, we don't swear, we pay our taxes, we're good right? But are we?
What would happen if we invited Jesus into our hearts, to perform surgery, to dig out the bad stuff and leave us clean? What if we decided not to live for ourselves but to live for HIM, Jesus, our heavenly father? What kind of impact would that have on you, your family, in the world? Yes, we would have scars from our past, our past shapes us but God can make us new, he gives us LIFE everlasting. So I see my scars in a new light today. I see them as God's hands on me, making me new, giving me LIFE. It maybe true that someday cancer takes my life here on earth. (I hope and pray it doesn't) But I have great joy that I have invited the great physician to do surgery on my heart, it's an ongoing surgery to be sure. Please don't think I am perfect or that I think I am perfect, I am a work in progress. I have confidence that Jesus will continue to dig out my soul cancer, to continually renew me. Every time I say yes to Jesus to change me, to make me more like Him there is a little scar left behind. Is it scary? YES! My surgery to have my mastectomy was scary.
Is it painful? YES! Sometimes more than others.
Is it worth it? YES! A million times yes!
If your doctor told you today that you have cancer but that if you had surgery and treatment you would live would you do it? Would you take the gift of life your physician held out to you? All you have to do is say yes. Jesus can give us eternal life, not just life until we die of old age. I have said yes to his invitation to eternal life and I have the scars to prove it.
Ephesians 2:4 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved."