Today I had the honor of attending a luncheon entitled, an afternoon of enlightenment. This luncheon was sponsored by the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center and honored breast cancer survivors from all over the area. I am not a breast cancer survivor and in fact when I called and asked to attend this event, the lady with whom I spoke wasn’t very receptive to my desire to be a part of this day. I went on to explain to her that I had a strong desire to spend the rest of my life in pursuit of making a difference for those battling cancer with my career and my heart. After an awkward moment of silence, she agreed to let me attend. My intentions for attending this event, were to learn as much as I could about survivorship in hopes of becoming a more qualified physical therapist as a result of the stories these women had to share. And to hopefully offer suggestions or resources and answer questions related to my field of study. I don’t know if I will be a better physical therapist after today but I can assure you that after today I am a better person because of these women. As I sat there and listened to their individual stories, I felt so inadequate. These women possessed a source of strength unknown to most and they had overcome more pain and heartache than most will experience in a lifetime. Each and every woman at the luncheon today had their own story to tell, each containing a different journey that ended in the same result: survivorship. I sat in awe of these ladies for almost an hour, listening to miracle after miracle and then one of the keynote speakers took the podium. She talked for about 10 minutes about her personal journey and ended it with a profound truth. She admitted that the hardest part of her journey was the scar that remained after her mastectomy. One day, after months of seeing only a scar, her husband said, “honey it isn’t a scar at all. It’s a birthmark.” I honestly got goose bumps after those words came out of her mouth. Her life was restored and she had the scar to prove it. She was given a second chance at life and was able to turn her shame into gratification.
Tonight at church, my pastor asked me to come up front. As I stood holding his hand, he told my congregation about my journey in Christ (an abridged version of course). Throughout my journey, I have had my own stories of triumph, failure, pain, defeat, fear, and happiness. As he talked, I felt inadequate for the second time today. This time my inadequateness was accompanied with shame. Shame for all the times I had chosen myself above God. And then I felt a tug in my heart and it was My Jesus saying to me, there is no shame in who you are in Christ. He is right friends. In my life, I have many scars but the scars of my past don’t exist any longer. God showed me today that my scars are really my birthmark. My reminder that He has restored my life and given me a new life in Him. He wants to do the same for you friends. What scars are you holding onto? Who you have been doesn’t define who you are. The most difficult journey is back to the place where we failed. But we aren’t stuck in the realm of our failures and our scars; we are led into the realm of God by His mercy, love, and salvation. Let God heal your scars today and more importantly, allow him to restore your life and give you a birth mark stamped with our Saviors’ signature.
Today I wore more than a pink ribbon in support of breast cancer research, survivorship, and hope. I wore a ribbon of in support of God, His presence in my life, and my love for Him.
Verse to remember: 1 Peter 1:3-4 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade-kept in heaven for you.
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