In a small village in UK, there were two naughty boys. They used to steal hen, sheep, or goat, cook and eat them. The village elders warned them, but it did not bring any change. One day they stole a sheep from a poor widow’s home. The villagers decided to punish the boys. They tattooed S.T. in the forehead of boys, which means: Sheep Thief. One boy could not bear it, committed suicide. Another boy ran faraway to another village about 100 miles. There he was taken in by a priest of an Anglican church. He learnt good habits. After ten years, he was popular by telling stories to village kids. One evening a young man from the old village came to this village and found him telling stories to children. He wanted to humiliate the boy. He interrupted rudely and asked the children: “Do you know who your teacher is?” He continued: What does it mean: S.T.? Village kids told in a chorus: S.T. means Saint. Shocked at this response, that proud man was humiliated and left.
Once a Sheep Thief has now become a New Creation: Saint. (II Corinthians 5:17) Another, plunged into eternal darkness. He did not think about hope or repentance or new life. However, this boy received the gospel light, allowed Word of God and Spirit of God to transform him. Thief was transformed to become a saint.
Past can haunt us, create scars (physical or emotional), imprison us and immobilize us if we give it a chance. Past experiences could be painful, but there is no need to relive the pain again and again. Scars can be transformed to Stars. A polio victim became great missionary among differently disabled. Prison could become centre for freedom. Paul made prison his pulpit and called disciples to: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” (Philippians 4:4) Immobility could become the place where radiant beams flow to transform thousands. Amy Carmichael, bedridden because of her accident, could write books that had global readership.
Do I allow God to transform my scars to stars?