WARNING, this is not for the faint of heart!

It’s ugly isn’t it?  It’s like a giant red crater sitting on my back.  And it hurts.  It has become a reminder that I have made some stupid choices in my life.

It seems like only yesterday I was growing up in South Fl.   We never wore sunscreen when we went outside.  I can’t tell you how many times I got burnt and now…I’m paying the price for it.  I had another skin cancer removed off my body this past month, this makes my third but at least it wasn’t on my nose again.  WHEW!  The doctor said that 75% of the damage done to your skin that causes cancer happens by the time your 18.  Then he said, “Look on the bright side, you are now in control of the other 25%, wear sunscreen.”  Yeah, thanks doc.

Here’s how it reminds me of other screw ups in my life.  Cancer is a lot like sin.  I know you’re like ‘heard that before’ but let me take it a step further.

Yes, God totally forgives us when we sin even sin that is deep, dark, and ugly.  Things that we would rather forget from our past.  But in our early development years a lot of damage can be done that won’t show up until later.  Yes we are forgiven but the consequences are coming.

For me it reminded me that I have done many wrong things.  These things tell me ‘I am no good and I am ‘unlovable’.  This stuff started surfacing in my early adulthood and started festering and growing.  Pretty soon I  thought that I could never be used by God.  It wasn’t until the cancer was removed, I healed and had a bright pink scar could I believe I was something different.  Don’t believe me?  Please click here and check out Ephesian 1.

Then look on the bright side.  God and you are in the driver’s seat for the rest of your life, you can control the choices now with Him.  Just remember to wear sonscreen (excuse the play on words).