He did for my friend Rafael Rosales. Rafael is a minister in El Salvador. The Salvadoran guerrillas viewed him as an enemy of their movement and tried to kill him. Left to die in a burning automobile, Rafael escaped the car and the country. But he couldn’t escape the memories. The scars would not let him.

Every glance in the mirror reminded him of his tormentors’ cruelty. He might have never recovered had the Lord not spoken to his heart. “They did the same to me” he heard his Savior say. And as God ministered to Rafael, Rafael began to see his scars differently. Rather than serve as a reminder of his own pain, they became a picture of his Savior’s sacrifice. In time he was able to forgive his attackers. During the very week that I write these words, he is visiting his country, looking for a place to plant a new , church.

He Chose The Nails, p. 124 – 125. Copyright. W Publishing, 2000,Max Lucado. Used by permission.