You can put away the mirror.

"Mommy look. Look again." Emma Faye whined to me. Her pout was VERY impressive this time. I have no idea how she can make this face. Really, quite impressive.

"Look again."

She was referring to this horrible bruise that was on her bottom. While twirling and whirling in utter delight throughout our downstairs one morning, she slipped and fell. Her back slammed against a rectangular column near our dinning room. Fortunately, she was okay. Unfortunately, her bottom clipped the corner of that column leaving a nasty bruise.

I let her see it one day in the mirror and ever since, she's been fixated on it; wanting to know when it will disappear.

"I just wish Jesus would heal my boo-boo," she sighed.

I looked at it again. Being that we have to look at this thing almost everyday (per her request), I'm well studied in the "twirling whirling bruise of February '10." I've seen that thing turn from a bright, raw red, to an ugly blood purple color, to blue, and then to blue and green. This morning it was green and yellow. It was fading.

"But Emma Faye, Jesus IS healing it. He's been healing it all along. It's changing color. You can't see it, but I can."

I paused. I looked into her inquisitive eyes and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.

"Emma Faye, some boo-boos take longer to heal. It doesn't mean that Jesus has forgotten about it, or that He isn't healing it. It just means that this boo-boo will take longer. He's always healing, sweetheart."

She gave me a little smirk, followed by an "okay" and skipped out of the bedroom. I was left alone sitting on the floor with those few sentences I had just spoken. Where that bruise was located, there was no possible way for Emma Faye to be able to see it on her own. She had to either use the help of a mirror, or trust my description of it. But she knew it was there, because it was still sore. She still felt it.

How often, because we continue to feel the pain of our own wounds, do we think Jesus isn't bringing healing? How much of our deep-rooted pain are we able to completely see on our own? We must trust in the One who can see. Who, over time, mends the tear and fades the bruise. Who reconnects the bone and scabs the scrape. As believers in Christ, our lives are constantly being made new; our bodies, healed. He is ALWAYS healing. We can't see it. We still feel the pain. It's still there, but take heart, my friends. It's color is changing. He has promised! There is no pain too great for our Lord. There is no sickness, He cannot restore to health. There are no scars too great for Him to remove.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

He took ALL of our scars, and placed them on his hands and feet when he went to the cross and gave up His life for our salvation. Our bodies are left without blemish in His sight.

My heart is full. God, you are so great and awesome. Awesome! Thank you, Lord. I trust you, Lord. You can put away the mirror, I trust you.