Lost face = Lost identity?
Sun, Aug 29, 2010
I just got finished reading a life altering article about a woman who was face shot in the face in 2004 by her husband. She miraculously survived, but she lost her nose and upper jaw and was left nearly blind. 
He was only sentenced to 7 years behind bars.
That woman has spent the last 6 years breathing through a tube and going through numerous surgeries…and is now known as the first recipient of a full face transplant. What an identity huh!
When I read things like this, several things go through my mind: How can someone go on living with such a drastic change to their physical appearance. How do you live with the memory of what happened – what about the nightmares? How do you forgive the person who did this to you - or is forgiveness something that you have to do every day for the rest of your life – every time you look in the mirror or catch your reflection in a store window?
I marvel at Connie Culp’s courage and strength to appear in public with such an altered appearance; geesh, sometimes I don’t want to go out because of a bad hair day or because I’m in an ornery mood. Her story definitely makes me rethink the scriptures about our identity 
being found in Christ and not in what we look like, what others say about us, or what we do.
It doesn’t matter if you lose your physical face like Connie did, or if you lose the “face” or ”identity” of who you are through; a job loss, a ruined reputation, an empty checkbook, a divorce or death, an empty nest, etc, etc…; the truth is, is that we daily have to find our strength, our courage, our confidence, our acceptance and ability to forgive, in the one person that chose to be mauled and crucified so we could experience these lifetime freedoms.
Jesus took the scars of sin, so we could walk uprightly. Jesus took the wounds and pain, so we could walk in healing. Jesus took every ounce of our shame, so we could hold our heads up high with confidence…a confidence in knowing that we are no longer living under a cloak of rejection, but now have the ability and assurance that we are allowed to walk in the freedom of being loved and accepted for just who we are; nothing more, nothing less.
Thank you Connie Culp for being one of the many ”faces” of domestic violence, and thank you for not giving up and choosing to stay hidden away, out of the public eye.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to re-evaluate one of the most important things in life; the freedom of forgiveness - I believe it is probably one of the most incredible beauty treatments anyone could ever use.
How inpsiring. Forgiveness is what sets us apart and gives us God peace, a feeling I personaly can not live without. God Bless this women for her faith, God is with her.
Laura,
I saw Connie Culp’s interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America last week. The amazing thing to me, especially in the work I do as an advocate for domestic violence awareness, is that I read an article from last year of another interview with Connie. She stated at that time she knew her common-law husband of 25+/- years did it “because he loves me,” and she went on to say after he gets out of prison following a 7-year sentence (could result in early release), it will take awhile for them to get the relationship BACK. Unfortunately, I see and hear of so many victims who bear this same mentality. Although, she did mention on her ABC interview that she does realize he is not good for her and she probably should never allow him back in her life, but . . .
One of the primary catalysts for me writing my book was the fact I found the true rewards of forgiveness. I realize it is as much for me as for the person I am forgiving, if not more so. Forgiving also says, “I release the hold and power I have given to you over me, and release you to God.” (How sad we try to give God AND another person total control over our lives). We are not the judge, nor is it our place to be the condemner. As long as we carry unforgiveness, we are bound by its chains and cannot move forward into God’s freedom and plan. While we are to be committed to forgiveness, we should recognize the difference between forgiving and forgetting. Wounds heal, scars remain. Scars are there to remind us that if we touch the hot burner again, we will most likely get burned – again. There is TRUE freedom in Christ… and the love of GOD is boundless. In HIM, ALL things are possible – even (especially) forgiveness.
Please feel free to share all the information and agencies that are on my Victim Support page at http://www.orangeblossomwishes.com
great blog thank you
I would like to get across my love for your kindness for folks that really want guidance on this important content. Your personal commitment to passing the message all over turned out to be really productive and have in every case allowed men and women much like me to achieve their pursuits. This valuable suggestions implies a whole lot to me and somewhat more to my colleagues. Many thanks; from each one of us.