The Beauty of Pain and Scars

 July 24, 2016

Page 6B

The Beauty of Pain and Scars

By Peggy Toney Horton

     Drying off after a shower, I spied a scar on the inside of my left foot. I’m surprised that’s still there, I thought. Should have faded by now.

I smiled as I recalled the hot summer day long ago when a friend and I were splashing around in the cool, swirling waters of a shallow creek. Our fun was interrupted suddenly when I screamed in pain.

I had stepped on either a sharp rock or a piece of glass. My foot stung like crazy and started bleeding immediately. My friend held my hand, steadying me as I struggled to walk out of the water and toward home without putting weight on that part of my foot. Every step was painful and blood seemed to be coming out of the wound awfully fast.

When she saw my foot and all the blood, my mother was quite upset at first, but fortunately for children, mothers wear many hats, so, donning her nurse’s cap, she went right to work and, in no time, had stopped the bleeding and patched me up almost like new – except for a small scar that would remain on my foot for the rest of my life.

That was not the last scar I got in my lifetime. There were many – both physical and emotional: physical scars from a variety of cuts and scrapes, emotional scars from missed opportunities, lost loved ones and disappointments of all kinds.

We all have scars.

They tell the world we’ve lived. A body or mind without scars means you never took any chances, never learned any lessons.

In order to have a scar, we must first have pain. Pain corrects. You put your hand on a hot stove and get a message that says, "it's hot" that goes to your brain; your brain says, "move your hand" and you move it, you don't have to think about it. It moves instantly. Lesson learned! You never put your hand on a hot stove again!

Why does God allow us to live in a world that is cursed with pain? Because what we call a curse is in fact a blessing. The worst thing God could do is let us live in a world with no pain because it is pain that tells us something is wrong that needs to be corrected.

But what does it say to us when we see the wounds on the hands of Jesus? It says, not only has He suffered and therefore, understands how we feel, but also, that He willingly identified with our humanity that He might take that load and share it with us. He didn't have to suffer this way. He chose to do so.

How could we ever think about our own scars without remembering the nail-scarred hands and feet of Jesus – the gaping wound in his side?

Christ could easily have erased those scars from His body. He could have removed all the marks of His suffering when He rose from the grave.

But He did not.

Instead, they remain as eternal reminders that He cares about our pain and suffering.

Peggy Toney Horton lives at Nitro and can be reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net

©Charleston Gazette-Mail - July 24, 2016

My Father’s Example

June 19, 2016

Page 11A

 My Father's Example

By Peggy Toney Horton 

        I awakened early and looked out my window toward the horizon. Although the sun was still nestled behind the hills, its golden rays were a harbinger of the beauty that was still to come. Beyond the burst of yellow was a hint of sky, the promise of blue. It was magnificent to behold!

I thought of my father.

My father was a morning person. I inherited so much of him, why not that? I’ve never been able to start my day early and have often been criticized for not being an early riser. My mother liked to tease that I was “born lazy,” but I prefer to think that God made each of us different and, as far as I’m concerned, that’s okay. Everyone doesn’t have to be the same.

So, no matter what time I get up – early or late – I have priorities just like everyone else.

My dad often told me, “It’s good to start the day by yourself. Just you and your thoughts – alone with God. That’s where you find direction for your day.”

And it stuck!

After many years, I still find it a necessity to be alone for about thirty minutes each morning before I start dealing with anyone or anything. If I don’t get that, my whole day is a bit askew.

As a child, I frequently awakened to find my mother still in bed and I’d go looking for my dad. On warm, spring days or summer mornings, I’d find him sitting on the front porch swing. He was sometimes reading the newspaper, but most often, he’d just be sitting with the most pleasant look on his face – not exactly a smile – but rather a look of contentment. Who knows what he was thinking? Knowing him as I do, I suspect he was having an intimate conversation with God.

But when he saw me, a broad smile would light up his face and he’d say, “Well, good morning, sunshine! How’s Daddy’s baby today?” It was always the same. Even after I was grown and had a family of my own, knowing I’d be up early with my children, he’d phone and say those very words. I never tired of hearing them.

On this day to honor our fathers, I’m remembering so many things about my wonderful father: his dark good looks, tender manner, sense of humor, his kindness toward everyone and his passionate love for God, his family and baseball – in that order.

It’s been many years since my father left us, but his memory remains vivid. I thank God for blessing me with a father who taught me what my Father in Heaven expects of me, and he taught it in the best possible way—by example! 

Happy Father’s Day!   

Peggy Toney Horton
112 Brentwood Rd.
Nitro, WV 25143
pegylu@suddenlink.net

Are You Plugged In?

 

10 Apr 2016 — Charleston Gazette Mail 

Are You Plugged In?

By Peggy Toney Horton

          A year ago, an unexpected illness forced my husband to have major surgery. When the doctor informed us it was necessary, I was terrified, but Mr. H. was as cool as the other side of the pillow. In the days leading up to surgery, I worried and fretted and lost sleep but he was not concerned.

This was serious.

Throughout his life, he rarely went to the doctor, and he didn't have periodic tests like blood work or colonoscopies. Therefore, I feared that, as testing progressed, the possibility that something life threatening might surface was real.

Although he had always enjoyed good health - except for painful arthritis - there are so many things that can go wrong, and, in most cases, early detection is key to overcoming them.

One day I asked, "How do you stay so calm knowing what you have facing you? Aren't you the least bit worried?"

"No," he said.

"How do you manage that?" I asked.

"I always assume everything will be all right," he said.

Oh, how I envy his ability to stay calm no matter what life throws at him. I'm a world-class worrier. I learned it from my mother, who was an expert. But worrying is a choice, and we can choose not to do it, especially if we're fretting about illness.

Think about it.

When electrical equipment malfunctions, the first thing we do is check to see if it's plugged in. In the same way, when we experience dysfunction or disease in our body, we must check to see if we're "plugged in" to God.

If we are harboring grudges or unkind thoughts, we let them go. If we have given power to beliefs of discord or sickness, we disconnect from these thoughts and reconnect to truth. Once established in right thinking, the light of truth can heal and transform us. But we must do our part.

Each of us has been given a wonderful gift - the gift of a physical body made in the image and likeness of God. It is the housing for our spirit and soul. We show our gratitude for this gift by treating it with love and respect.

The body is a holy temple - a divine creation - and we partner with God in caring for it. We energize it with healthy food and beverages, strengthen it through exercise and bless it with affirming thoughts and restful sleep.

Although our well-being is enhanced by what we take into our bodies, healing is generally from the inside out. Therefore, we should turn within in prayer and meditation to affirm health and wholeness and cease all concern about what could be wrong with our body.

My husband has been blessed with the capacity to do this. He expects the best outcome in every situation, never speculating on unpleasant possibilities.

I still have a ways to go.

"So long as there is disease in your thoughts, there will be disease in your body. Only when your mind is at rest can your body build health. Worry is an actively destructive force. Anxiety produces tension and tension is the road to pain. Whatsoever you sow in your secret thought-life, that shall you reap. Sow praise and you shall reap joy and well-being and a strong faith." - Frances J. Roberts

Peggy Horton lives in Nitro and may be reached at pegylu@suddenlink.net.

 

"Are you plugged in?" Charleston Gazette Mail 10 Apr 2016: B6