Battle Wounds or Battle Scars???

by Dina Sleiman

Evidently, I am credited with coming up with this week’s theme idea because one time a few months ago I commented that for women, our birth stories are our battle stories. And because of that, I was assigned to be the first poster on this subject. But, when I actually went to check the calendar, it didn’t say “Battle Stories.” It said, “Battle Wounds.” Well, none of my tales really included wounds. I had thought to talk about the birth of my first child, or maybe finish the saga of escaping from the war in Lebanon. However, “Battle Wounds”… I didn’t have much to say about that.

You see, I spend time with believers from all sorts of denominations, and being surrounded by such divergent mindsets, I have come to a conclusion. Some types of Christians love to talk about their “Battle Wounds,” while others prefer to tell their “Victory Stories.” Well, I am decisively a member of the "Victory Story" group on this issue. So, I decided I would email the Inkwell ladies and see if we could change the theme from “Battle Wounds” to the broader topic of “Battle Stories.”

Before I could shoot out the email, guess what? I looked in my inbox and saw the beautiful completed header for “Battle Wounds.” And so I composed an email apologizing profusely and asking if we could please change it...but I couldn’t hit the send button. Instead, God put on my spirit a wonderful sermon my pastor preached recently about the difference between emotional wounds and emotional scars, and I realized that I did have something to say about this subject after all.

You see, a wound festers. It incapacitates. It destroys us and holds us back. It hurts. A scar, while noticeable and sometimes even slightly disfiguring, is evidence that healing has taken place.

Wow! Read that again. Seriously. A scar is evidence that healing has taken place.

You can function with a scar. It might be a little tough or red or bumpy, even itchy on occasion, but you can go on with your life and continue to accomplish God’s plans.

Now normally, I would prefer to focus on miraculous, complete healing. And I do believe with all my being that God can heal us miraculously both physically and emotionally. But the truth is, most miracles I see on a day to day basis look more like God speeding and assisting in the natural healing process through wisdom, guidance, and supernatural intervention. I’ve been healed instantaneously twice in my life, but on many occasions I have recuperated much faster than expected, or God has given me wisdom that has led to a quick recovery. Both emotionally and phsycially.

Quick recovery in the emotional realm occurs when we learn to see through God’s perspective. Through God’s eyes. When we revisit those festering wounds, not to poke around and cause pain for the fun of it, but to allow God to remove the infection, to cleanse them, and to salve them. Maybe forgiveness is required. Maybe the enemy told us a lie that has colored all of our thinking, and God wants to speak truth to our deepest emotions. But when God gets in there and cleans it out and gives us a new perspective, we begin to heal. It may look different, not quite all pretty and shiny anymore, but it will be well with our soul, and we can move on. Our scars can be a badge of honor. Proof that healing has occurred. You can laugh and say, "Look at this cool scar. Let me tell you how I got it." It's all in your perspective.

And thinking about perspective brings me right back to the birth of my first child that I wanted to talk about initially. Here’s the very short story. I had a ten hour intense labor with no drugs whatsoever. Did it hurt? Like heck!!! Did I panic? Absolutely. Did I yell? Does taking deep soothing breaths in followed by loud resounding yells out count? Did I need stitches? Two or three. Did I have stretch marks? Yes.

Yet none of that is what I remember when I think of the day Christiana Rose Sleiman was born. I think of the amazing bonding experience I had with my husband, and how he was there for me every step of the way. I think of how God ministered to me through the gentle eyes and soft voice of my midwife. I think of the unbelievable spiritual discoveries I made on that day about what it takes to birth something into existence like God birthed the universe and birthed new life within me. About how much pain and hard work is involved. I think of the overwhelming rush of tears and laughter as my husband caught the squirmy little body, and I scooped my daughter into my arms for the first time. How insanely long and thin her perfect miniscule fingers were. I think of her rosebud lips latching to my nipple in a desperate search for life and sustenance and of the rich honey-sweet colostrum that flowed in response. God's provision in action.

Incredible. Indescribable.

You see--perspective. No matter what we endure in life, we can view it as a gift, an opportunity for growth and change and dependence on God. A chance to receive hope and peace and joy. A chance to come out strong on the other side. Or we can focus on the damage. The wounds. The defeats. We can grow bitter. Blame God. Wallow in self-pity and unforgiveness. And stagnate in our faith.

Battle Wounds, Battle Scars, or better yet, Victory Stories? The choice is up to you.

Have you experienced healing from emotional wounds? Are there any that are still festering in your life? How could you hand them over to God and turn your "Battle Wound" into a "Victory Story?"