Soul Scars

We human beings like to communicate, chat and tell stories. Nothing beats a nice story-telling "dating back to childhood days" among some friends, and preferably if it has some humor in it. I found that we use, even scars, yes Scars and wounds, to tell stories. Funny enough, I can put "scars" stories into categories. There are these "Pride Scars" that hold behind them an heroic act, where you probably got it jumping off the roof to save your little brother who was about to put his hand in a 2 meters tall hungry dog. There are the "Comedy Scars" leaving their mark on you after "smartly" walking into a glass window thinking it was just not there. And then...there are the "Painful Scars", the ones you wish they didn't leave that mark to remind you of an incident painful to your heart, or shameful to share. These are the ones you neglect, try to hide and never give an answer back when asked about them...the one reminding of a loss, a fight, a hatred, or an haunting past.

But most of all there are the "Soul Scars" and these are unseen to the eyes of your surrounding, yet they haunt you down and THEY are the one that keep telling you their stories over and over again. You know, these inner scars don't have a surgical solution but have a God who He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, curing their pains and their sorrows. (Psalm 147:3), a God who says, “I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and sorry for their sins. I will give new life to those who are humble in spirit. I will give new life to those who are sorry for their sins. (Isaiah 57:15)

Jesus encounter with the Leper in Matthew 8 is an undeniable incidence of hope in His Healing Touch..a touch reaching out the soul before the body..the soul that comes kneeling and asking His will...receiving a touch full of might..the only real touch that could contact such an infested body:

Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, 

“Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.” Jesus touched the man. He said, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy. (Matthew 8:2-3 ERV)

وإذا أبرَصُ قد جاءَ وسَجَدَ لهُ قائلًا: «يا سيِّدُ، إنْ أرَدتَ تقدِرْ أنْ تُطَهِّرَني». فمَدَّ يَسوعُ يَدَهُ ولَمَسَهُ قائلًا: «أُريدُ، فاطهُرْ!». ولِلوقتِ طَهُرَ بَرَصُهُ. (8 مَتَّى:2-3 )

Here I Kneel...for YOU to Heal!

Change of Seasons

Change of seasons has its rituals here in Europe. Welcoming winter requires some life adjustments to the city and its inhabitants, not only referring to some Christmas decoration on the streets, earlier hour for turning on the light posts and Anti Slippery snow ready tires, but also about the preparations put in place to receive such a harsh season. what was truly catching my attention is how they dealt with greenery and trees, the beautiful sight of "dead" colorful tree leaves displaying a splendid array of red to orange colors will soon all fall to leave naked thick "scary" branches. They know end of Autumn comes with heavy winds to bring down the leaves, but also shake off the dead branches. For that, they go around trimming and cutting off loose branches to avoid that this beautiful autonomy looking tree doesn't turn into a life threatening block falling on the heads of pedestrians or crushing down cars. Cutting away and Trimming the tree to Make it safe and ready for the trials of Blowing winds and loads of Snow!

You know that you and I are branches hanging to the Tree of Life, Branches extending from our Lord. I love tis passage in John 15, where Jesus talks to us about the power of abiding in Him, Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine/tree, neither can we bear fruit unless we abide in Him. But the second verse of this passage might be shocking to some:

"Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." (John 15:2 AMP)
«أنا الكَرمَةُ الحَقيقيَّةُ وأبي الكَرّامُ. كُلُّ غُصنٍ فيَّ لا يأتي بثَمَرٍ يَنزِعُهُ، وكُلُّ ما يأتي بثَمَرٍ يُنَقّيهِ ليأتيَ بثَمَرٍ أكثَرَ. (15 يوحَنا:1-2 )

Yes, We will be cleansed and trimmed to bear more fruits, we will go through tough cutting to be ready for the winds to come and for the snow to carry. God, Through His loving Hands, knows how our dead branches can crush the ones around us, how falling leaves can leave a mess and slippery grounds on our path of life. It is tough yet His caring hands and Holy Spirit will allow and take us through to bring us to make you and I bear richer, and more excellent fruits. 

Heavenly Father, Here I am..Make me ready for the change of seasons...ready to stand firm and strong abiding in You when the wind blows and winter tests..for in Spring by your glory I shall flourish your Love to the world and bring shade to the ones in need.

Let the trimming begin my friends!

Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood (Chaperon Rouge) next to the fact that it is quite a "scary" tale, it gave me a chance to learn another lesson from Farida. Watching the story, specifically when little red riding hood arrived at her grandma who just got devoured by the wolf, Farida jumped out of her seat yelling at the little girl "Take care...you do not need to ask about her ears or nose, stop talking with her...just listen to her voice...It is NOT your grandma sleeping there, surely not her sweet voice...It is clearly a villain one, it's the WOLF...Run Now..RUN!" She looked at me with that worried gaze in her eyes and told me "you know pa, when I go to answer the door I ask who is there, if it is you or mami, I recognize right away your voice and open...but if it is another voice...I literally run to whoever is in the house and ask them to come and check. It gets me scared sometimes!"...and THAT was Enough for me to get my lesson of the day!

Reading through John 10 in the famous sermon of Jesus about the Good Shepherd, the following verse kept me hanging there in awe:

When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call. (John 10:4-5 AMP)
ومَتَى أخرَجَ خِرافَهُ الخاصَّةَ يَذهَبُ أمامَها، والخِرافُ تتبَعُهُ، لأنَّها تعرِفُ صوتَهُ. وأمّا الغَريبُ فلا تتبَعُهُ بل تهرُبُ مِنهُ، لأنَّها لا تعرِفُ صوتَ الغُرَباءِ». (10 يوحَنا:4-5 )

I always knew about the sheep who recognize the voice of the care taker, food provider and shelter provider, their shepherd...but caught by surprise seeing that they not only refuse to follow a strange voice, yet Run Away...run back to the one they know PERSONALLY. How many times have we heard and followed strange voices, sometimes we listen and start negotiating, while we know safety lies in fleeing..specially when this strange voice knows your weaknesses. Our Shepherd knows us by Name, and we are invited to sit at His feet and feel His presence, cherish His guidance and receive His abundant blessings for the Shepherd said "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give my sheep eternal life. They will never die, and no one can take them out of my hand. My Father is the one who gave them to me, and he is greater than all. No one can steal my sheep out of his hand. (John 10:27-29 ERV)" AMEN!

Do not fall in the trap of the wolf, Red Riding Hood listened to the strange voice!

Peer Pressure

“Pa, can we please get a dog PLEASE..just like the one Amy has! or a smaller one like the one of Sara. Ok?” After few weeks at school, you start realizing the impact of peer pressure your kids go through. I know you parents out there are not surprised when your kids start asking for what their friends own starting from toys, pets up to houses with several swimming pools. Suddenly back to school or kids birthday turned into a burden on the parents who have to manage their kids needs seeing what others are enjoying or bragging about. I love how kids are so transparent in their emotions, they do not need to hide or mask the influence they get from their peers at school. They will absorb and reflect that at home in a simple question format a need captured from their friends…yes, Peer pressure is a reality starting this early age.

We, sophisticated adults, seem to be more clever in hiding our needs, yet we know for sure that we are equally impacted-if not more-by that peer pressure. We pretend being immune to what our surrounding brings on our plate everyday, to the way our close circle acts and reacts. “Show me your friends, I will tell you who you are” is a true and wise statement. We know that deep down we start copying the attitudes of our surrounding, we absorb and reflect the need in acting it rather than speaking it out loud like our innocent kids. This goes specially to attitudes and way of life we believe we lack and dream of having. We like those Go-Getters yet give a deaf ear to the wrong doings on the way to get the goal, we like having this trendy look yet neglect the border line flirty side it brings, we yearn for this over empowering “charismatic" presence yet accept its side effect selfish attitude. Actions and attitudes do make an impact, specially if they get copied…they are contagious in a peer pressure way.

No wonder in proverbs, influence of peers and societal pressure was clearly stated:

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20)
20المُسايِرُ الحُكَماءَ يَصيرُ حَكيمًا، ورَفيقُ الجُهّالِ يُضَرُّ. (امثال ٢٠:١٣)

I am not seeking to open your eyes on the choice of your surrounding (You are mature enough to chose)..but rather I am asking each one of us to reflect on who we are to our friends and society..Are we the wise or the fools? Do we realise the power God has created in us to impact, influence and change…do we realise that we are created to Shine and Keep shining His Light?

What type of “Peer Pressure" you are spreading today? I hope the Up-lifting one!