Identifying marks

After the wise men visited Mary and Joseph and gave gifts to The Christ child the Bible tells us that "Mary pondered these things in her heart". I think she was overwhelmed by this great outpouring of love that she just had to hide it in her own heart and treasure it before she was ready to share it with others. This is one reason which I have not shared here our journey to china to get our precious daughter. The other reasons are so much more practical. First, after the birth of each of my children it basically took me three months to feel like life was normal again and I had figured out how to run this household with the addition of another person. Second, I don't have very much alone time to just be able to sit and write. My time right now goes to assuring a little one that she is loved with an everlasting love and that I am not going anywhere! Finally, I'm just plain tired! I've done a lot since coming home from China but that is another story.
     Several years ago I was preparing my morning cup of tea (and when I say cup, I mean the large 32oz turvis tumbler). I placed the tea bag in the cup and poured boiling water in, then placed the cup on the counter. As I turned to get the milk my hand hit the cup and the entire contents spilled on my thigh. Horrified and in excruciating pain I ran to the bathroom, tore off my pajama pants and searched for something to put on it. I grabbed the aquaphor and slathered it on only to realize this was an even bigger mistake! Aquaphor is oil based so it sealed the burn. As my skin began to feel the intensity of this burn I grabbed a skirt, climbed into my car and drove myself to the ER (joe was at an away soccer tournament). As I told the ER nurse what I had done they quickly ushered me back and them proceed to remove the aquaphor. This was as painful as the burn itself but it had to be done in order to put on the right thing; silvadine. The Dr. came in and examined my leg and began to prepare a shot of pain killer I explained that I couldn't take anything strong because I had driven myself. He was concerned with the level of pain I would experience when he treated me but I assured him this was the only way.
      Needless to say, a burn takes a long time to heal and the healing process involves reabsorbing blisters into your skin, caring for the ones that don't and finally the stage of intense itching. My burns healed but left a scar on my thigh which if I lie in just the wrong position still hurts slightly.
     A year and a half ago, in an entirely different hemisphere, on a continent with billions of people, a little girl was chasing her "sister" around the house. They bumped into a table and a bottle of boiling water spilled scalding the feet of the little girl. She was taken to the Dr. who began the long and painful process of healing. Her feet retain the scars of this horrible day and she often recalls the story to me in bits of broken English trying to explain this the best she can. The interesting thing is that she loves to hear the story of my burn and see my scar. She caresses my scar and says "poor mama". She knows. She understands, she identifies.
     Isn't it shocking that out of 43,000,000 orphans in this world God would choose the one who shares an identify mark of pain? Or is it just a testimony to the greatness of our God? Our little girl, once alone and in intense pain has joined a family where her mama bears the same marks! (coincidence? No way!)
     Lest you think this is just my story let me help you to understand this is all of our story. Christ, alone, without pain relievers, forsaken even by the one who loved him most, was crucified. His hands and feet bear the scars of love. He laid down His life that we might live. So each time you have physical pain, His scars testify that He can identify with you. The next time you grieve because of loss or sorrow know that He too identifies. Even when you willfully choose to go against God's best and demand your own way, Jesus identifies for He experienced all sin on the cross. We do not have a savior who is far from us but One who is in the midst of our pain. He cries out to our hearts I know, I understand, I identify with you".