Mark of the Lion

So I'm reading this trilogy by Francine Rivers called Mark of the Lion, and it is AMAZING. Seriously, check it out.

Here's the gist (or at least, the part that has to do with this blog): There's a Christian girl named Hadassah living around 40 A.D. in Rome, and she ends up getting thrown to the lions in the arena and severely marred, but she doesn't die. She has a scar from her hairline to her chin that's pretty deep, and she keeps it covered with a veil so she doesn't freak other people out. Now, this chick is incredible--her faith and love for people draw everyone to her, basically, and even though she's a fictional character, she's a model for me. Anyhoo, one character, when remarking on how different Hadassah is and why she wears a veil, says:

"She has the mark of the lion on her. People fail to see what it means."

That, of course, is a two-fold statement. Literally, she was physically attacked by lions, and it is obvious to anyone who really knows her that God spared her life. However, most people don't understand that when they first see her scars. Figuratively, she has the mark of Christ Jesus on her and that affects how she lives her life. She is a Christian. She was persecuted for it, and God allowed it to happen. Though she has scars, she lives to tell people about this miracle of God's mercy...

If you've ever read the Chronicles of Narnia, you may remember a scene toward the end of The Horse and His Boy where Aravis gets attacked by a lion, who turns out to be Aslan (the Christ figure) himself. Aslan had a reason for doing this (to humble Aravis, to teach her to treat others better, etc.) and when reading the story, his reasons are obviously merciful and just. But she will have scars on her back--basically, the mark of the Lion--for the rest of her life.

Application time!

God allows stuff to happen to us that hurts like the underworld. We have scars from divorce, unfaithfulness, abuse, disaster, mean people, whatever. Sometimes they are things God uses to teach us, discipline us, turn us around. Sometimes they are things God uses to show us His mercy and protection. And sometimes we never quite figure out the reason because it's part of a much bigger picture that we can't see yet. No matter what the cause or reason, we have scars.

The question is, what do you call your scars? Are they reminders that you were once a victim of unfortunate circumstances, or do you recognize these scars as the "mark of the Lion" and use them to tell others of God's mercy?

Let's pray.