Less Like Scars

Gerry Cheevers was finishing his great NHL career and was the goalie for the Boston Bruins the first year I was in college. His trademarked goalie mask is easily identified by even moderate hockey fans. It was a simple face contoured fiberglass mask. What made it so memorable was that it had hand drawn "stitches" all over the front of it. Each of these sets of stitches was drawn in place by Gerry himself, or the longtime Boston Bruins trainer, John Forestall.

They represented each and every puck that hit Gerry's face mask during practice or in a game. John Forestall would calculate the damage that each shot would have inflicted on Gerry's face and diligently drew the approximate number of stitches the doctors would have used to close the gaping wound the puck would have undoubtedly inflicted upon him.

That mask had character.

Driving to work this morning I was hit by the power and message in the lyrics of this song written and sung by Sara Groves. So I called my office phone from my cell phone to remind myself to find these lyrics somewhere on-line.

I really enjoy Sara Groves voice and vocal style. She sort of reminds me of Norah Jones who I really like. I like the "jazz" sound of many of Sara Groves' songs. But that is not really why I liked the song. These lyrics really spoke to me and framed some of the thoughts and feelings that have been somewhere in the back of my mind for years.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

Less Like Scars
by Sara Groves

It's been a hard year.
But I'm climbing out of the rubble.
These lessons are hard.
Healing changes are subtle.
But every day it's...
Less like tearing more like building.
Less like captive more like willing.
Less like breakdown more like surrender.
Less like haunting
more like remember.
And I feel you here.
And you're picking up the pieces.
Forever faithful.
It seemed out of my hands
a bad situation.
But you are able.
And in your hands the pain and hurt
look less like scars and more like character.
Less like a prison more like my room.
Less like a casket more like a womb.
Less like dying more like transcending.
Less like fear, less like an ending...
And I feel you here.
And you're picking up the pieces.
Forever faithful.
It seemed out of my hands
a bad situation.
But you are able.
And in your hands the
pain and hurt
look less like scars.
Just a little while ago.
I couldn't feel the power or the hope.
I couldn't cope, I couldn't feel a thing.
Just a little while back.
I was desperate, broken, laid out.
Hoping you would come.
And I need you.
And I want you here.
And I feel you...
And I feel you here.
And you're picking up the pieces.
Forever faithful.
It seemed out of my hands
a bad situation.
But you are able.
And in your hands the pain and hurt.
look less like scars.
And in your hands the pain and hurt
look less like scars.
And in your hands the pain and hurt
look less like scars.
And more like character.

I need to be honest here. I am certainly not suggesting that I was able to see the character building as it was happening in real time. In fact that is the point. Some of it was not apparent until today. But, like Sara Groves says, "healing changes are very subtle". But they are happening. God is trying to mold us and make us what He wants us to be.

And here is the key: God is "forever faithful".

I can't (or don't want to) go in to any more details. But I can say at least one thing at this point in my life. God is forever faithful.