What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

FBC Family,

I feel that I must warn you, concerning a surgery that I had this past Wednesday evening on the left cheek of my face to remove a skin cancer. I understood the doctor to say that when he finished doing some skin grafts and plastic surgery that I would look like a young Robert Redford.

After the surgery I had to disagree with him, I think I looked more like an old version of Frankenstein, for I have a scar that runs from the top of my head to the bottom of my cheek, covered with blood and stitches.

This came at a bad time, as Maxi and I were scheduled to be at a grandparent’s day with our grands at a private school in Lexington. One look in the mirror told me that this was not going to happen, as I was convinced that my face would frighten puppy dogs and small children.

I offered to stand down and go to the next grandparents day. But my daughter protested that it wasn’t all that bad, (but could not look me in the face and say so). She said go and it would be fine, as these children had grown up with cartoons of disfigured creatures and goblins and it would not be a big deal.

So I went, I found that the kids instead of running from me in disgust and horror came to me, surrounded me and genuinely asked about my boo boo.

I was tempted to tell them about an attack that I experienced with a black bear in my neighborhood which would be a somewhat exaggerated story, (aka a big lie). But I told them the truth, wear sunscreen or you may experience the same thing. The scar gave me a place of endearment with these 5-year-olds. Not laughing at me, or frightened by me, but concerned.

We each know people who have scars, things that they have done wrong, or have had wrong things done to them, which marked them with disgust or frightened others away from them. Adults often don’t respond like children, with concerns about others boo boos, we shy away, act like we don’t see the scars, turn away in embarrassment. Oh may we deal with these scars as 5 year olds, with concerns about others boo boos.   pastor tim