The Scarred Woman

by Chuck Ness

One day two women who lost contact 15 years earlier met on social media. This reunion would forever change the life of a teenage girl. One woman was a missionary, the other a single mother raising a teen daughter. The mother of the teen invited her long lost friend to come and visit. Knowing she had a few weeks before she would embark upon another missionary journey, the woman accepted her friend's offer.

Indianapolis is a long way from San Diego, but the trip would be good for both women to visit and go over old times. When the missionary arrived, she met her friend's teen daughter, whom she had not seen since the girl was but a toddler. The girl grew into a very beautiful young lady who was a popular cheerleader at her school. She was the type of girl who had always been part of the popular crowd, with more friends than she could count. However, while her mother was raising her to be a Christian, her heart was never truly in it as much as it was in the World.

From the moment the guest entered the home, the woman had a bright disposition about her. Even though she had visible scars from a long ago tragedy, she didn't seem to let it get her down. She was a happy well mannered woman who seemed to be comfortable in her, umm, scarred skin. As she met her old friend's daughter, she could tell that the teen girl was visibly bothered by her appearance, but she was used to it. After all, children can be cruel, even when they do not want to be. At dinner the girl barely touched her food and excused herself early from the table. The reason she gave, was she just wasn't very hungry.

After dinner, her Mom and the woman chatted about old times, while the girl kept her distance. Refusing to join in on the conversation. The woman didn't seem to let it bother her, after all, it's typical teen behavior to shy away from things that make them uncomfortble. Especially when adults start talking about ancient history. The girl was not only uncomfortable, but bored with the conversation.

It was a long trip, and the guest was tired so she went to bed early to get a fresh start in the morning. After the guest went to bed, the mother sat her daughter down and asked her why she was so rude to her guest. The daughter told her Mom that her friend made her uncomfortable. And why didn't the woman do a better job of covering up those hideous scars. At least she could have worn a blouse that covered up the herendous scars on her arms. At that the Mother's countanance changed toward her daughter. Almost as if for the first time she realized how cold her daughter's heart truly was.

What happened next was soul saving lesson the teen would never forget. Her mother would tell her something that would forever change the way she looked at other people. She told her daughter a story, a story that she promised her friend she would never tell. A story that needed to be told, if her daughter was ever to grow into mature caring adult Christian. She sat her daughter down and told her about a night, many, many years ago. A time when her daughter was but a toddler, barely 15 Months old.

The girl knew about her father leaving when she was very young, and how her mother decided to raise her on her own without so much as even dating. What the girl did not know, was that back when her Mom and the guest were young ladies, her Mom was a waitress who worked the graveyard shift at a truck stop in a small town out West. At the time she shared an apartment with the guest, whom she had met at church.

She told her daughter that her guest was one of the most beautiful she ever knew. Her Mom even admitted that she was a bit envious of for her beauty. A beauty that made men so attracted to her, that they would ignore the other women in the room. Well her roommate, who had a daytime job as a secretary at the time, volunteered to care her child while she was working night shifts. She saw no reason for her roommate to pay a baysitter, since she would be home anyway. It was a good relationship and they felt blessed.

Then one night, while her mother was at work a tragedy struck. In an apartment below their's, a man fell asleep on his couch while smoking a cigarette. By the time the woman woke up the flames were racing through the apartment complex. The first thing she thought of was the child sleeping down the hall on the otherside of the flames. When she tried to get there the flames were so intense she had to back away. Yet she knew she knew that she had to get to the child before it was too late. Without hesitating the woman wrapped a blanket around herself and ran through the flames into the child's room. The smoke was so thick she could barely see anything when she entered the room, but she knew where the crib was.

Saying a prayer as she worked her way through the smoke, she dropped the blanket that was around her and picked up the child. She turned around to head to the door to get out, but realized the flames had become so fierce she could not go back to the hallway. Thinking quickly, while ignoring the pain of the heat, she pushed the window open with one hand as she held the child against her in her other arm. She though about jumping out with the child, but realized it was too far. Again she said a quick prayer for help from Jesus, and that is when she heard a voice. A voice telling her to focus on the man below. She looked down and there was a fireman climbing up a ladder just outside the window. He was within arms reach and she handed the child to him without hesitation. She was so exhausted from the fire and smoke that the woman then collapsed to the floor coughing terribly, unable to think, breath, or to go any further.

The fireman climbed down with the child, handed it off to someone and then started back up the ladder. When he reached the window he could not see the woman. Even though the flames were engulfing the room he climbed in through the window and found the woman. She had crawled to a place that gave her a little small space that was clear of flames. The fireman picked her up and was able to get her out and down the ladder to safety. The baby was unscathed, but the woman was burned on 70% of her body. Even a portion of her face was burned. The only parts that were mostly free of burns were her lower backside, her lower legs and the bottoms of her feet. The diagnosis was dire, she would be scarred for life.

While in the hospital for Months, the mother of the little girl visited her often. Then one day the woman told her to promise she would never tell her daughter why she was so burned. She believed it made no sense for her friend to raise her daughter knowing what happened to her. She did not want the child to feel guilty or remorseful that she survived unscathed while she was a wreck. Maybe it was a bad decision, but it was her's to make, and the mother honored her request.

Being a follower of Christ, her friend knew that God had a plan for her life. Regardless of what she would have to endure, she would not give up regardless of the outcome of this tragedy. She told her friend that one day she would know what GOD wants of her, and that she refused to allow self pity to be her future.

Well, through the years their lives went in different directions. They lost contact, and the tragedy that happened was just a time in the past for the woman with a child. Her life went in a direction that allowed her daughter to grow while becoming a popular beautiful cheerleader. While the forgotten physically scared woman would go on to have her emotional scars healed by Christ as she lived a life as a missionary, caring for forgotten children the World over. From the ghettos of the big cities, to the jungles of South America, and all the way to Africa and Bangladesh, the scarred woman would follow her heart to care for those others would rather forget existed.

When the mother finished telling her about her old friend, the teen girl broke down in tears. Her life had been blessed with all she ever wanted, yet she never realized how close she came to death. She now thanked GOD for the sacrifice of her mother's friend, because she was able to become like her mothers friend was once, a beautiful person other girls are envious of. Even more importan, she realized the power of the phrase, "But for the grace of GOD their go I."

Teens are forever in their own Worlds, and many times even Christian families forget that their children get sheltered from the tragedies of life. Tragedies that God allows for many reasons. Sometimes HE allows tragedies so that others who are free of them can learn to have empathy for others. When we shelter children from tragedies, they grow up to be cold and uncaring.

Our Lord Jesus went through a tragedy, although it was HIS decision to do so. HE decided to accept a scourging of the most hideous kind, and then an agonizing slow death on the cross so that we could have eternal life. Some may want to divert their eyes and minds from what HE may have looked like after going through what HE did for us. Many even want to keep children from knowing what HE went through for them. Yet, long before they were old enough to be accountable for their sins, Jesus gave HIS own life so that one day they will have a choice to be saved from eternal damnation.

The women decided to keep the truth of a tragedy away from a child growing up, just as many parents decide to keep the tragedy and pain Jesus went through from interfering with their children's normal life. They tell themselves that one day the child will want to know, and when that time comes, then they will tell them if they ask. They falsely believe that allowing their child to decide what they want to believe is the best way to raise then. That is the human logic of fallen man, but it's wrong. we are told that we should,

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

What the proverb means is in the way of GOD's understanding, not in the way of the World's understanding. If you do not want them to be confused later, then raise them on all of GOD's precepts as they are growing. If you do not, trust me, Satan will raise them on his precepts. This includes raisning them to know about the bad things that happen in life also, do not shelter them for their own good, because when you do so, it isnt't for their good.

The next morning when the guest woke up, she went into the kitchen and was met by a young girl with tears and a smile. She grabbed the scarred woman and held her tightly as she hugged and kissed her. All the while she could not stop thanking her for the sacrifice she gave so she could have a normal life. When a person accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, when they truly accpet HIM in their heart, the same feeling comes over them. It did with me. I remember sobbing like a baby when my heart finally opened up to the realization of what HE did for me. To this day, my eyes water up when I think of HIS Sacrifice for me.

Next time you consider HIS Sacrifice, consider how beautiful HIS nail-pierced hands, and his body that was scourged beyond measure are. For they tell us of HIS love and HIS willingness to save us, regardless of the cost to HIM.

I pray that those who have ears to hear, will hear what the Spirit of the Lord says, and call upon His name.
Amen