Scars of Love

(Repost)

A little girl grew up with a mum and dad who loved her very much. Of course, she loved her parents too. As she got older and went to school, the other children noticed that her mother's hands were terribly scarred and disfigured, and not nice to look at. They teased her about this and the little girl began to feel ashamed of her Mum's hands. She wished that they were smooth and beautiful like other girl's mums.

As time went on, the mother began to notice a change in her daughter's behavior whenever they neared the school gate; she seemed to not want to be seen with her. Saddened and hurt, she asked what was the matter. Embarrassed, the little girl looked down at her feet and then blurted out, “It's your hands, Mum! The other girls always laugh at your ugly hands and tease me about them. Why have you got such ugly hands?”

Sitting the little girl down on a bench-seat nearby, the mother gently asked her, “Would you like me to tell you why?”

“Oh yes!” replied the little girl. Quietly her mother began.

“A few years ago when you were just a baby, I woke up in the middle of the night. I could smell something burning. I rushed into your room and found that the heater I put in there to warm the room had set fire to your little cot. I didn't have time to think of anything, but you, lying so near those terrible flames! I beat them out with my hands and rushed out of the room with you to safety. It was then I realised I had burnt my hands terribly, and that is why they are so scarred and ugly today.”

The little girl listened very quietly until her mother had finished her story. Then, with tears in her eyes, she flung her arms around her mother's neck and said, “Mummy, I love you all over—but I love your hands best of all.” From that day on she was never ashamed of them again. In fact, whenever the girls would foolishly taunt her about her Mother's scars, she would always reply, “They are scars of love!” and tell them the story.

Did you realise that Jesus too, has scarred hands?

He was nailed to a Roman cross and died there, so that we might have our sins forgiven and receive eternal life. Remember that first Easter, He appeared to all the disciples to show them He was alive. Thomas wasn't there, and he refused to believe it until he saw the scars in Jesus' hands and side where the nails and cruel spear had pierced him on the cross. Shortly afterwards, Jesus did appear to Thomas; “Look at my hands and side” He said to him. Thomas saw the scars and immediately believed. “My Lord and my God!” he said. We too, will one day see those same scars when we stand before Him. Will you be able to say, “My Lord and my God. I love you and those are scars received in my place when You died for my sin. They are 'Scars of Love' for me!”