Lots and Lots of Band-Aids

It’s funny how driving in the car always brings out the most interesting questions. Perhaps it is because when you actually tie my 6-year-old son down in a seat belt, he sits still long enough, and the carbonated curiosities that have been bottled all day well up over the top.

Yesterday’s question…

“Mom, is it cooler to have Band-Aids or not have Band-Aids?”

I guess I think too much like an adult. I told him that maybe not to have Band-Aids, because that would mean you are safe.

My son, without hesitation assured me that Band-Aids are cooler. I assumed this was because he likes the Superhero pictures on them. Every kid loves to pick out their Band-Aids… whether with Toy Story, Dora the Explorer, Spiderman, etc. The cartoons have healing powers nearly as strong as a mama’s kiss on the knee. But this was not why my son had come to his conclusion.

“Having Band-Aids is cooler because it means that you are TOUGH.”

For my son, Band-Aids, scrapes, and bruises are a sign that you just survived an adventure. You are brave. You faced something fearsome and conquered.

I couldn’t help but marvel at my precious boy. In the past 10 years, God has been ushering me into womanhood… and so much of that process has left some battle scars. Learning to love people well, overcoming insecurities, walking in bold obedience, trusting God with everything… all these great lessons, and yet, some have left me marked. Burned. Wounded.

If anything, I have learned that you can’t just put a little spiritual Band-Aid on your heart when it has been cut. The Holy Spirit is our thorough healer, but even when I the Lord has tended to my wounds, and I can move forward in good health, I never forget those days behind me.

My son is right. Through Christ, surviving those battles made me tough. Walking through fire and pressure, gave me endurance. Stepping out with nothing under my feet but scripture and a calling, strengthened my faith.

I never would have considered myself weak before. But now, looking back, and remembering the Band-Aids, remembering the struggle, I am so grateful for how God has grown me. 

Maybe you look back on those scabs and scars, and you consider it a reflection of your worst moments in life. The devil wants you to cover those skinned knees. But I say, if you are still here, still breathing, then let God get the glory for all He has rescued you from! Give praise to God that He still has dreams for you today! Had your purpose run out, then so would your heart beat! 

Band-Aids will be an inevitable part of life, if you are really willing to live it.  

 >> But let them be a reminder that God is not done with you! This is a journey. He has a mountain for you to climb, and IN HIM, you have all you need to reach the top.

"There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." 

Philippians 1:6 (The MESSAGE)