SCARS IN HEAVEN

March 10, 2024 Nancy Carey Comments 2 comments

Scars In Heaven – Casting Crowns (view on YouTube.com)

Dear Lord, thank you for loving us. You are our Daddy, Abba, Father. We love you so much, Father, and we thank you that we can come boldly before Your throne of GRACE.

It has been several months since my last post, December 25, 2023 > Christmas Day. God sent me on a sabbatical to refresh my spirit with Him and to prepare me for a time such as this. And during that time, I experienced a loss that shook me to my core and took me to my knees. My precious sister, Cathy Porter, Ms. Wheelchair MD 2007 and Ms. Wheelchair America 2008 People’s Choice Award, went home to be with the Lord on 2/17/24 at 73. She defied the diagnosis to my parents at six-months old that she would NOT live past her teens. SHE PROVED THEM WRONG though the GRACE OF GOD.

I want to share a bit of her life with you so you will know how precious she was to me and the world.

Cathy Porter, Ms. Wheelchair MD 2007

In brief, she had Cerebral Palsy and spent most of her life in a power wheelchair. It became a symbol of her life > DISABLED DOES NOT MEAN UNABLED. Her life was a living testimony of the power of a CAN-DO ATTITUDE > from wife, to mother, to Security Officer!

Excerpts from my Celebration of Life; Living the Legacy …

Her determined spirit led her to a career that defined her “CAN DO ATTITUDE” as a SECURITY OFFICER (from a power wheelchair) for Arundel Mills Mall, Home Depot, Lowes, Weis Food Store, Hutzlers, Value City, Murphy’s and Harundale Mall. As a Security Lt. for Arundel Mills Mall, the largest and the greatest mall in Maryland with 1.3 million sq. feet of retail outlets, she was featured on Channel 2 News for her “abilities” in the Security Industry.

SHE MADE THE NEWS

The Maryland Gazette wrote a story about her mugging in her neighborhood and how she took the criminal DOWN with her wheelchair.

MY TESTIMONY

As the family HISTORIAN, I have scrapbooks and scrapbooks of Cathy’s pictures showcasing her CAN DO ATTITUDE. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for answering my lifelong prayer. All my life I prayed, “God, I want to do something to help those with Cerebral Palsy.” I finally received the answer to my prayer in 2006. My routine of taking a nap after Church on a SUNDAY afternoon was altered. Instead of the nap, the Holy Spirit led me to the kitchen for a hot cup of tea and WOW … on my kitchen table was our community WEEKLY MAGAZINE. The cover stopped me in my tracks … MS. WHEELCHAIR VIRGINIA PAGEANT story that invited ALL to attend and requested VOLUNTEERS TO HELP!

It was the start of my Disability Advocacy for ALL People with Disabilities to fulfill my purpose.

[Pro 16:9 KJV] 9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Cathy’s adventure into the pageant world was not to showcase her beauty (of which she had), but to be an Advocate for People who use a wheelchair as their form of transportation. 17 years later, and thousands of pictures, I am here to share her story with you. GOD CAN USE ALL PEOPLE TO BLESS OTHER PEOPLE. When we listen to that still small voice, it will direct our steps in the way we should go!

GOD USED ME to be a part of Cathy’s TESTIMMONY of ENCOURAGEMENT for the world.

It’s been a roller coaster of emotions; but as The Holy Spirit always does, He led me to this song that not only brought tears of sadness for her loss on earth, but also tears of JOY knowing she is with the ONLY ONE in heaven that has SCARS, and that Jesus is holding her now.

SCARS IN HEAVEN

If I had only known the last time would be the last time
I would’ve put off all the things I had to do
I would’ve stayed a little longer, held on a little tighter
Now what I’d give for one more day with you

[2Co 5:8 KJV] 8 We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

‘Cause there’s a wound here in my heart where something’s missing
And they tell me that it’s gonna heal with time
But I know you’re in a place where all your wounds have been erased
And knowing yours are healed is healing mine

The only scars in Heaven, they won’t belong to me and you
There’ll be no such thing as broken, and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now, even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in Heaven are on the hands that hold you now

LET YOUR HEART NOT BE TROUBLED

[Jhn 14:1-3 KJV] 1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.

I know the road you walked was anything but easy
You picked up your share of scars along the way
Oh, but now you’re standing in the sun, you’ve fought your fight and your race is run
The pain is all a million miles away

The only scars in Heaven, they won’t belong to me and you
There’ll be no such thing as broken, and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now, even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in Heaven, yeah, are on the hands that hold you now

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, for the hands that hold you now

I’M STANDING

There’s not a day goes by that I don’t see you
You live on in all the better parts of me
Until I’m standing with you in the sun, I’ll fight this fight and this race I’ll run
Until I finally see what you can see, oh-oh

The only scars in Heaven, they won’t belong to me and you
There’ll be no such thing as broken, and all the old will be made new
And the thought that makes me smile now, even as the tears fall down
Is that the only scars in Heaven are on the hands that hold you now

[Jhn 3:16 KJV] 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Cathy was an inspiration to all who knew her, and for this SISTER, a ROLL MODEL OF INSPIRATION. She was truly a gift from GOD to me and though the year of her reign as Ms. Wheelchair MD 2007 and beyond, as we traveled by plane, train, automobile and cruise ship >>> she shared her DISABLED DOES NOT MEAN UNABLED lifestyle, but more importantly, she shared her FAITH IN THE ONLY ONE IN HEAVEN WITH SCARS. Her body is new … no more scars from the countless surgeries she endured through her life.

My prayer for anyone who is, or who has a family member or friend with a disability, is to share Cathy’s story of OVERCOMING all obstacles in her way to FULFILL her purpose on earth. A woman of FAITH with Cerebral Palsy in a POWER WHEELCHAIR who used her disability to PROVE >>> DISABLED DOES NOT MEAN UNABLED.

She DID NOT BLAME GOD for her disability, but ASKED GOD how HE could USE HER!

WINGS TO FLY

I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN

ETERNITY

IF you have not accepted Jesus into your heart, now it is the time. He is waiting to hear from you. In a moment, your life can change from a sinner to Christian!

OPEN YOUR HEART to your SAVIOR.

HOW TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!

I KNOW THE PLANS

THANK YOU

Dear Lord, this is the day that you have made, and we SHALL REJOICE and be glad in it. I rejoice today because I have YOUR assurance that Cathy is with You in heaven >>> WALKING the streets of GOLD and living in her MANSION that You prepared for her. When You speak to us about taking a sabbatical, we need to listen and obey. Thank You for taking the past three months to prepare me for writing this post. Although some tears still fall, they are quickly replaced with images of Cathy WALKING the streets of GOLD with You.

Take your GOS-PILLS today: