Poor Barbie & Ken. They have experienced a rough few months.

They were loved & adored & played with outside this summer.

Summer faded into fall & they were left outside.

They have suffered through a very cold winter & 2 curious dogs.

Callie rescued them a few days ago.

They were in pitiful shape.

Barbie’s hair was matted. Black smudges covered her eyes.

Ken was in worse shape. He was filthy, dirty everywhere.

I soaked them for a couple days. Still bad.

Today I took some Dawn & a sponge to see if there was anything else I could get off of them.

Surprisingly a lot wiped right off.

But poor Ken, he has some marks that just won’t come off.

Isn’t that just like us?

We go through some rough seasons that leave their mark.

Seasons where we feel abandoned & alone.

Seasons of uncertainty & fear.

Seasons of waiting.

Then there is a season of deliverance.

A season of hope & cleansing.

Some of our scars & smudges disappear easily.

But some remain.

Maybe those scars & smudges that remain are a reminder of how far we’ve come.

A reminder to never lose hope.

A reminder that seasons end.

A reminder that we have a rescuer who will lovingly clean us up no matter how long & cold & dark the winter has been.

Smudges & scars.

They make us who we are.