Thanks for the scar, Scott...

Several months ago a young man we know was diagnosed with cancer... 

Watching his journey strongly affected me in many ways...

Because of him and his story I felt a very strong prompting to have two spots checked out.  One was on my face and had only been there for a year or so and the other was on my right side, it was fairly new also.  As I said, I had both of those for probably less than two years and had never given them a second thought.  One day as I was praying for this young man the Lord just stuck me with the intense, overwhelming need to get my own spots checked.  

So I did.

I went to the dermatologist and shared my concerns with him.  He took one look at the spot on my face and said "That is nothing at all to be concerned about".  Then he looked at the one I pointed out on my side.  Again he said "Nothing there at all, no problems."  I was so excited, so thankful, so grateful to the Lord... so very relieved!

Then his tone changed and he said "Oh" and to the nurse "I need to get a look at this one, we need to biopsy it."

Honestly, I was stunned.  What was he talking about?  What other mole??  I asked and he led my finger to the place but I couldn't even feel it.  He drew a picture of it on a piece of paper, it was the size of a skinny marker's dot.  But something about it attracted his attention and he was concerned.

He took a biopsy.  Two long weeks later the results were in:  "Abnormal mole. Moderate risk.  Recommend immediate removal."

I went right in for the surgery for removal.  It was nothing like I expected.  For this tiny little mole I have a two inch scar, eight external stitches and I don't know how many internal stitches.

I had no idea.  I did not know it was even there.  If I hadn't been prompted by this brave young man's story and our loving heavenly Father I would have never known about it.  My dermatologist said it definitely had the potential to develop into something very serious.  It was on my midback just an inch or so from my spine.  I don't know if I ever would have noticed it... until it was too late.

So, thank you Scott Cloud for so openly sharing your journey with us.  Thank you Lord for your loving prompting and healing.

So I say "Thanks for the scar, Scott."