Dents and Bruises

This week I'm nursing and rehabbing an injury.
I fell.
Hard.
On the boxes.
While jumping during a workout.
The same boxes that I LOVE.

Now I have a pretty bad shin bone bruise, a black and blue leg, a huge butterfly bandage over the wound...and a sore and tender right leg.  I'm still moving though!  Not giving up.  I'm able to do certain things in the gym.  Just need to rest in other areas for a few weeks.  I'm seeing that this is good.  It's forcing me to rest....and work out other parts of the bod.  I'm reminded that it's so important to work the entire body---and spend the time it takes to make that happen.  I love when God slows us down and reminds us and shows us important things.  This is just a small example.

Recently I was meeting with a few young women who are students at Biola.  We were at an off campus Starbucks that I frequent often.  When I returned to my car I noticed that another car had hit my car and deeply dented the back door of my driver's side.  The Civic!  AKA:  The Black Stallion as I endearingly named it a few years ago when Mikala drove it up North.  The car that I've had almost ten years.  Works like a charm.  Haven't had hardly any problems at all.  Has been so reliable.  Now had a HUGE and very noticeable dent.  It was a hit and run.  No information was left behind.  So much was going on in my head at that moment that had nothing to do with my car.  I was about to move.  Work was in a busy season.  I needed to book a plane ticket.  One of my friends was in a hard place.  And I was going to a party that night.  And I had just been on a date.  There was no mental space for this in my head.  And that was probably a good thing.  No space to worry.  Just space to continue on.  My car is reliable.  It runs fine.  It is in good shape.  It has a dent now---but it's still as good as ever.

As I drove away I thanked God for my car---and contemplated the "things" of our lives.  And I also thought about the "dents" and "bruises" in my life.  And a beautiful picture came to mind.  I can barely describe it in words.  Except that it was bright and beautiful.  Not fully defined---but lots happening...and even though it was kind of jumbled---it all seemed to fit...and make sense.  In the disorder there was harmony.  

There was lots of light.  There was lots of color.  There was a beautiful song.  And there was a woman who was being put together again---healing.  She was more alive than she'd ever been.  Her dents, scars, and bruises were still a part of her life and a part of the tapestry of her story.  But everything about her is different.  A radiant beauty shines forth.  She knows who she is.

I actually love that my Civic has the dent.  And it's kinda ok that my shin is a mess right now.  Because life goes on...and the story continues...the dents and bruises make the end result a powerful representation of healing.  The body...the things...they fade.  The newness of the heart...is the strength that counts...that lasts...and that meets Jesus face to face one day.

Can't wait to jump again.