I wondered if the drawings were just permanent marker? ... and she answered,
"It's kinda a long story ..."
As a 2 year old, this PNG girl was visiting her grandparents' village, when fighting broke out. Her grandmother tied her to a tree, marked her arms with signs that symbolized their tribe, and burned her skin.
Not understanding why I asked, "Have you seen your grandma since this?" The answer was yes ...
She went on to explain that she could have been killed if her grandmother had not marked her ... had not identified her as one of them.And the scarring, I realized, was not a punishment, but instead protection.
The same is true of us, but it is not we who bear the scars. He was nailed to a tree. By His wounds, we are healed. He took the lashes and nails to identify us as His own. He has engraved our names on His hands.
And there is more ... The very last chapter of Revelation tells of life forevermore in the New Jerusalem. Because of His markings, one day we will see His face ...
"and His name will be written on [our] foreheads."
Marked.