Burns to Beauty

She stared at me with wide eyes from the operating room table, so I smiled and waved friendly at her. I tried to act positive and not let the shock show on my face. Maybe, if I acted calm, she would feel calmer, too. Maybe, it I didn’t let the fear show on my face, she wouldn’t be afraid either.  Maybe, if I acted like I wasn’t in pain, her pain would go away, too.  Maybe, if I blew it off and tried not to think about it, the whole situation would stop existing.

But the truth is, one third of her entire body was covered in second degree burns.  I thought about how much pain I felt when I burned the tip of my finger on a curling iron and a small white blister formed. And here she laid, naked on the cold table, with her entire chest, upper arms, and right buttocks and thigh completely burned off. She must have felt like she was still on fire, even though she had fallen into the fire yesterday.  And she was only seven years old.

I was so thankful that that the doctors put her under during the procedure so she couldn’t feel what we were doing. I knew the scalded skin had to be removed in order for her body to heal properly, but my hands were still unsteady as I assisted in peeling away her skin like it was plastic wrap.

I reminded myself of  God’s creativity in making the skin able to regenerate and heal itself. As I worked, I prayed for God to make her skin heal healthy and strong.

We covered her burns in lubricated gauze, then covered her body with dry gauze and bandages. I could almost feel the heat rising from her body, and my hands hurried to cool her wounds with the dressings. I took special care of her the rest of the day by making sure she got plenty of fluids and rested comfortably in her bed.

I hate more than burns more than anything else right now, but I can also say that I love soothing the hot wounds with cool dressing and soft wraps.  Anything to make it better.

“When you pass through the fire, I will be with you. And when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” It seems at first glance that this promise from Isaiah 43 was forgotten in this sweet little girl’s case, but God does not abandon his promises. Never ever. Even though the fires of this physical life may burn, God’s love protects the heart from the flames. And even when the physical burns bring pain, God provides lubricated gauze and flower-covered bandages to soothe the suffering. Today He did that through us.

In Isaiah 61, God promises to “bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.” Ashes. Only fire can make ashes. Only fire can make burns. I see the skin of the little girl flaking off like ashes, and I believe with all my heart that God alone brings beauty out of the burns.

I plan on staying by the bedside of this little girl in order to witness His healing hands at work.  I promise to dress her wounds and give her cool water. And I promise to do it all in the name of Jesus. Maybe I will even get to tell her about Him.

I trust Him to turn her burns into beauty.

I trust Him to transform all of our burns into beauty. No matter how much we have lost, how much pain we feel, or how much ashes we have collected, we walk through the fire knowing that He will not let us be burned.  And as we pass through, we confidently proclaim that our God is able to heal wounds, cool pain, and make beauty out of burns.