LIFE IS A STORY IN THE MAKING CONTEST WINNER--

Congrats to the winner of my contest last month.
It is Laura of http://ihavetobelieve.wordpress.com/
It is a beautiful Story. Congrats again Laura.
Keep looking I will have another contest soon.
Here is Laura's Story. She also had it on her blog.

As I woke up on the morning of Sara’s surgery, she was on my heart. I had seen her bravely preparing for this upcoming surgery, but I saw her smile and her courage falter a bit as she talked about the scars that would be left. A double mastectomy would leave obvious scarring, and could require much reconstructive surgery. I know that in her little-girl heart she was scared, felt a little silly, and wondered if she were being prideful in daring to consider Beauty at a time like this!
Mrs. Sara is one of the most beautiful women I know. I don’t say that lightly or figuratively or just to be flattering. She has a quiet peace and strength (although most wouldn’t describe her as “quiet”) in her that has come from perseverance in the things of God. She has lived her life, made mistakes, had great triumphs, learned about God & herself and how it all fits together and she is simply BEAUTIFUL! She has scars of life in her and on her. BUT she only has scars where God has healed her.
You see, scars are proof of the healing power of a living God! The only way I can figure to avoid scars is either to never get hurt or to never get healed. We know that we will be hurt (These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33) so unless we choose to never get healed, it seems that we will have scars.
Mrs. Sara’s life scars have healed beautifully - so beautifully that when she tells of past hurts as a child, a teenager, a young wife, a single mom, a remarried mother and stepmother, a grandmother, a great grandmother, a sister, a daughter, a neighbor, a friend…when she tells of these hard times, her scars have healed so cleanly that no bitterness, anger, hatred nor anything else ugly can be seen! What I do see is the awesome healing power of God Almighty! Simply stunning…
Sara’s scars make her who she is. They make her beautiful because the hand of God has touched those areas of her life and made them whole again. (The only wounds that won’t heal are the ones we won’t allow the Master Healer to touch.) I pray that Sara is allowing Him to touch these new scars, inside and out. When He does, they will be another testimony to the healing grace of our Father and the beauty that His touch brings.
Scars area sign of life because they are evidence of healing. Scars prove who you are. Even Jesus, when He appeared to Thomas, came back with scars in His hands - the scars of His crucifixion. He wanted Thomas to KNOW and BELIEVE in the resurrection power of God! He, in effect, said, “I am Jesus, the Son of God. I was crucified, dead, and buried, but I was resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, AND I HAVE THE SCARS TO PROVE IT!”
My prayer for Mrs. Sara (and anyone else who has been scarred in this life) is that she seek diligently after the hand of her Maker and allow the Master to touch those scars and bring healing that only Jesus can bring. I pray that she will allow God to turn her battle scars into beauty marks. And when a hurting, scared woman is placed in her path and comes to her for encouragment, I pray that she can stand in great faith and say “I am Sara. I am a daughter of the Most High God who has power to heal and bring life AND I HAVE THE SCARS TO PROVE IT!”
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. ~Matthew 9:22
I love Mrs. Sara. She is a testimony to me that I can run this race as a daughter of the King. I have been blessed to be in weekly Bible study with her for the past 5 years every Tuesday morning. This year, she went through a very difficult time when she found out she had breast cancer and needed a double mastectomy. She handled it with grace and faith. She is currently cancer free with no need of chemotherapy or radiation treatment!! To God be the glory!!