Survivor

Most everyone who I am close to knows my story.  They know how I was burned. They know where my scars are.  And they know that it doesn't bug me when people ask, "What happened to your arm?".  This month, August 2011, marks the 20th anniversary of when I was burned as a 19 month old.

It hadn't crossed my mind that this month was so significant until I ran into a little toddler at work a few weeks ago.  She was a teeny-tiny little black girl, with ponytails and the sweetest smile across her face.  Her mom stopped a friend and I in the hall as we were leaving work for the day.  She was looking for the Pediatric Unit so they could visit the Child Life Specialist that had worked with them when her daughter was a patient at UMC.  After she mentioned her daughter had been a patient, I took another quick glance at her, wondering what she had been sick with, and realized she had burns on her hands and legs.  Her legs were in pressure garments, so I knew that her burn accident must have been somewhat recent.  I quickly asked her mom if she was a burn survivor, and she replied that yes, she was in a kind of solemn way.  I told her that I was also a burn survivor, and told her how it had happened.  There was an instant connection to this mom and her daughter.  I knelt down to the little girl and gently touched the burns on her hands, asking "are these your burns?"  If I had to guess, she was barely two years old, so she didn't really "get it" at first.  I pointed to my burns, then back to hers, trying to get her to understand.  After doing this back and forth a few times, she reached out her hand to touch my arm, where my scars are most often noticed.  She stroked my burns, then looked up at me and smiled and I knew she understood the connection we had.  My heart was bursting at the seams as I was trying to hold in tears of hope, joy, and peace.  Peace that in my heart, I knew I was once that little girl with new scars - and now I am a grown woman, married, almost done with my nursing degree.  I looked at this little girl and saw potential, a courageous journey ahead, and it was like the Lord was telling me "I work ALL THINGS together for your good."  There is a very small number of especially great moments in my life.  Being proposed to and marrying my best friend are on the list at this point in my life.  But this moment I had with this little girl, who's name I don't even know, will never ever leave my heart.  I truly believe that the Lord used that angel to show me something that I needed to be reminded of.

The Lord really does work things out for our good.  I know it is hard when bad things happen and there is literally NOTHING you can come up with to try to convince yourself that it's going to be okay.  I know personally that my mom and dad both dealt with my accident very emotionally for a long time.  It was not easy- not easy financially, spiritually, or physically on any of us.  But now, 20 years down the road, we can see more of the story.  I can see the good that has come out of this "accident".  There has been glory brought to God through hurt, and I am so thankful to be a part of glorifying the Lord.  It is my purpose in life to bring Him glory!  Thank you, Lord, for a precious and simple reminder of your goodness in my life!

-Anna