Redeemed, Healed, Free

By Pamela Rose Williams

Scars – most everyone has them. Those that we got when we were children from falling off a bike. The ones that some of us have from the old Smallpox vaccine. Some of us have “pox” scars from when we had Chicken Pox as a child. Some of us have scars from war — gunshot, and mortar scars. And of course, some of us have emotional scars that were left on our heart when we experienced the loss of a loved one or a traumatic life circumstance.

My Hollie Rose had scars. Like most everyone, she had some scars on her skin from injuries and even Chicken Pox. She had scars on her heart from broken and strained relationships. She had emotional scars from the loss of loved ones. She also had scars on her brain. Those brain scars were the result of the many seizures she suffered during her time here on earth when she battled Epilepsy. The scar tissue in her brain interfered with her ability to remember certain things and even sometimes caused problems in her everyday motor skills. And eventually, the Epilepsy was what God used to take her home. Even so, even though she walked a difficult road, she ran the race, and she fought the fight. She obtained the prize, which is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). I know this because one day she told me she would rather be with Jesus than to go on living with Epilepsy.

This past year I really began to “hear” the silence of Hollie in Heaven. I miss the random texts, social media posts and telephone calls. She would call and just say “What’s up?” I miss her antics and her laugh, which sounded just like a loon sometimes. Believe it or not, I think I even miss the doctor and emergency room visits and frequent trips to the pharmacy. Perhaps because even those time-consuming tasks leave a large void in my life.

As I reflected on 2 years since Hollie has gone to Heaven, I remembered a song that I heard by Casting Crowns that I think was written for me! “Scars in Heaven” was written as a way to comfort so many people who have lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Hall started writing the song (with Matthew West) when he watched his mom care for and deal with the loss of her mom and dad (1). I like to remember Hollie for who she was to me. But the greatest thing is that today she is Redeemed, Healed and Free. She has no scars! She is with her Savior and His scars healed her soul.

Here are the lyrics to the song that Mark and Matthew wrote for me (well not really). And the Video is down there too. You should sing along, though I cannot promise you will not have some tears. Let them be happy tears!

“Scars In Heaven”

If I had only known the last time would be the last time
I would’ve put off all the things I had to do
I would’ve stayed a little longer, held on a little tighter
Now what I’d give for one more day with you

‘Cause there’s a wound here in my heart where something’s missing
And they tell me that it’s gonna heal with time
But I know you’re in a place where all your wounds have been erased
And knowing yours are healed is healing mine

The only scars in heaven, they won’t belong to me and you
There’ll be no such thing as broken and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in heaven are on the hands that hold you now

I know the road you walked was anything but easy
You picked up your share of scars along the way
Oh, but now you’re standing in the sun, you’ve fought your fight and your race is run
The pain is all a million miles away

The only scars in heaven, they won’t belong to me and you
There’ll be no such thing as broken and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in heaven are on the hands that hold you now

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, for the hands that hold you now

There’s not a day goes by that I don’t see you
You live on in all the better parts of me
Until I’m standing with you in the sun, I’ll fight this fight and this race I’ll run
Until I finally see what you can see, oh-oh

The only scars in heaven, they won’t belong to me and you
There’ll be no such thing as broken and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in heaven are on the hands that hold you now

Resources: (1) Https://Www.christianpost.com/News/Casting-Crowns-Share-the-Story-behind-the-Song-Scars-in-Heaven.html. (2) Casting Crowns – Scars in Heaven (Official Music Video)