Every Friday @ 12:30pm (CST), you can hear a weekly challenge from me on Faith Music Radio. My podcast is called Posted by Rebekah. You can listen online HERE or download the free app for your smartphone. I would love for you to join us, listen and take the challenge!
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Several months ago, I contracted a staph infection. At the time, I did not know what was the problem was. It was a place on my skin that started out very tight, swollen and red. It was very painful. Then, it started leaking pus. Nasty. Oh my goodness. It became so painful - I had made an appointment to see a doctor but I couldn't wait any longer. I took myself to Urgent Care on a Sunday afternoon to diagnose the problem.
She diagnosed me and gave me strong meds to hopefully clear it up. If not - they would have to lance it. Again. Oh my goodness.
Thankfully, the meds did work. Slowly. It didn't happen overnight for sure. And honestly, months later, I still have a place of discoloration on that part of my skin. Perhaps one day it will go away completely. At this point, I have to see it day to day. I just know that it is there every day to remind me of that whole experience.
My scenario reminds me a lot of life. I will share with you what caused my staph infection - it was a hot tub at a pool. We had water damage at our house - and our insurance put us up in a hotel suite for six weeks. In that six weeks, we enjoyed the hotel pool and hot tub. Immensely. That was until the thing I enjoyed - that seemed harmless enough - actually caused my hurt.
I have seen lives messed up - marriages broken up - young lives broken and ruined - all because of simply something someone enjoyed. Something that seemed harmless yet it was actually slowly working damage to their life - they just didn't see it actually happening.
And then, when they did begin to see symptoms of something wrong, they thought they could just let it "run its course" and it would eventually take care of itself.
Only it didn't. It became so bad that finally they sought out the One who could hopefully help them - the Great Physician. Yet, it all came to a great cost. Just like a visit to Urgent Care with no health insurance.
The healing would come slowly - sin is not cured overnight. It takes a lot of Bible and prayer and tears to reach that point of healing.
And hopefully, you will come to the place of healing. Yet, there is one thing that remains. A scar. It is there reminding you what that "pleasure for a season" as the Bible calls it can do. It will cause pain, hurt, great cost...and it will leave a scar.
Does this story describe you? Did you almost lose your marriage as a result of a harmless friendship? Did you lose your family over chasing a career? Did you lose your testimony over greed that turned into wrongdoing?
The scar does not have to define you forever.
And that's today's challenge: Let your scars of life motivate and push you to follow Christ. For it is His scars that will heal you.
Hi Rebekah, My name is Theo and my husband, Quentin, and I (along with our five kiddos) visited your church on the day you took your eldest to camp. When Quentin told me we were visiting your church I had no idea it was your church, as I had just started following your blog (heard about it from Faith Music Missions email). But, once your husband started talking about your family, and had mentioned Jenny's baby shower, which I had just read about in your blog, the pieces started fitting together and I knew something was really familiar. After church, I mentioned it to your husband and said that indeed you are the Rebekah with this blog! Anyway, I wanted to say "thanks" for the starbucks gift card, but most importantly for your church.....what a blessing it was to us as a family. I am also a pastor's wife. We are in Lafayette, Colorado (just outside of Boulder). Both Quentin and I have been in ministry together for 9 years, but we were both in ministry as singles for a while, too. I married the youth pastor at a church in Fort Collins, CO while I taught school....then, we've been here for six years. Over that time, God has blessed us with several children through foster care (9 to be exact!) We've adopted two, the sibling group of three we currently have should be adopted by the end of the year....and all the while still think of my babies in Heaven that I will meet some day.:) I would love to correspond with you, if you'd like. Your blog has been a blessing to me already, and I'd love to get to know you. I was just bummed that I missed you on the Sunday we were there! Would love to talk ministry, too, as we have had some struggles here. My email address is: tpfrog2001@yahoo.com Have a great day! In Christ, Theo
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