In one of my favorite movies, "Return To Me" there is a scene when the waiter comes to serve a young female artist. It is evening and she has not painted a stroke on her canvas. The waiter notes her distress, pulls up a chair and says to her "I think it is time for me to take my break." Our young artist finds it difficult to paint because she has a scar on her breast. Her scar is from a heart transplant surgery that saved her life. Ironically, the man she now loves still mourns the death of his wife who died in a tragic auto accident. The donated heart saved our young lady, but she feels overwhelmed by the fact that she carries this man’s wife’s heart. "Life is complicated" says our waiter, and "it takes time to heal the scars of life."We are all scarred by life in one way or another, whether it be physically or perhaps emotionally. No one goes through life unscathed. Others can hurt us even inadvertently, like our young artist who carries the scar that saved her life. Sometimes the scars may be intentional. But with the scars comes understanding. When something has wounded us, only then can we understand how others who are so wounded can also feel. We can also understand the power of sacrifice, the love which it takes to save the life of another.
In the movie, grandpa reminds his grand-daughter that God gives us the strength to bear the scars of life. It is said that "that which does not kill us makes us our character stronger." It is never easy to suffer, but if we persevere through our suffering, then we will be all the stronger for it. We will also be able to empathize with those who suffer similar ailments. Whether it be the loss of a child from war, or the loss of a limb from diabetes or the loss of hair from radiation treatments, only someone who has endured it can fully understand it. Only those who have been victims of prejudice can understand it no matter how much others may try to "feel their pain". And with that sympathy comes a love which no one can take away.
Jesus "feels our pain" in a way that only another human being could. He became one like us and he suffered for us more than we will ever know. And through this suffering, he became our wounded healer. Just as we would with anyone else, all we have to do is to take our suffering, our grief, our pain and give them to Him. God will not take away our scars, but it will help us to know that He understands.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who continue to suffer from the scars of a broken heart, a broken relationship, a broken promise, a broken life from prejudice, disease or addiction. I like that waiter in the movie who stopped what he was doing, pulled up a chair and told the broken heart: "I think it is time for me to take a break." At this moment, simply pull up an empty chair and let the scars of your life pour out so that the Lord may wait on your soul and heal your wounds.
