When I See the Scar, I Know It Shall Be Well

I was thinking this morning... in my relaxed moment that Saturday morning, I sat on the bean bag chair with legs crossed, the left over the right. Then I noticed the scar that runs across the inner side of my left foot and boom, I found myself in 1978. 'Why 1978?' You may ask. I was in Primary 3 in Mowoe Primary School Warri. Due to too few schools for the number of children of school age, most public schools had morning and afternoon school. That year I was in afternoon school, meaning we resumed at 1pm and closed at 5.30pm, I think. On this faithful day, I arrived school about 30 mins before morning school closes. I decided to fill up the spare time by going to 'catch abaka' in the bushy area by the school. Catching 'abaka' is a practice where kids swooped on grasshoppers perched on tall grasses, trapping them in their palms. As I followed the grasshoppers deep into the bush with grasses as high as my neck, I was unaware of the unseen dangers beneath. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my left foot. When I retreated to the open field to take a look at my foot, I screamed at the sight. Blood was gushing out my foot like water from a fountain. As I fell to the ground, other pupils around called for help and I was rushed to the hospital. After weeks of not being able to walk unaided, what was left of a massive cut to an artery was a scar, about six inches long. I did not bleed to death on that day, but the scar remains to remind me that it shall be well.

Yes, it shall be well, that I am confident of. Today, when I think back on the event of that day, I cringe, because I still can't tell whether it was a piece of broken bottle or metal that gave me the cut. As kids we were fearless, not because we had any local 'Odechi' or were too religious. No. We just lived knowing that it shall be well. How else can you explain an 8 year old walking into tall bushes not knowing what was beneath or ahead. I could have been bitten by a snake or worse, but it never crossed our mind as kids. Fear did not deter us from being adventurous. Today, 42 years later, I am looking at the scar and my conviction is reinforced that it shall be well.

I really do not know why I can still remember the event of that day so vividly, 42 years after, but I believe it is for a purpose. There are so many events in the last 42 years that I can't remember, but I will never forget the event of that day in 1978. In everyone's life, there is always a scar that reminds you that it shall be well. Your scar could be physical, emotional, economic or psychological, but it is left there to remind you that if you can survive that ordeal, then it shall be well. I am grateful not only because I didn't die from the injury but also because the scar remained to remind me that it shall be well.

Sometimes God leaves an old landmark, a scar, not only to remind us of where we are coming from but to reassure us that it shall be well. The impact of this Covid-19 will leave scars in the lives of many. For some, the scar will be in their pockets, for others their mind is deeply scarred by the news of thousands of death across the globe. Please do not despair whenever your physical or mind's eyes see the scar, just know it is God's way of reassuring you that it shall be well. Genesis 9:16 says 'Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.'

When I see the scar, I know that it shall be well.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey