The Sixth Letter

READ: ROMANS 8:1-2; COLOSSIANS 1:13-14

Editor’s Note: Today’s reading addresses self-harm.

Allyson pushed up her sleeve, revealing an angry red scar in the shape of an F. F for failure.

“No.” Colette reached out and gently took Allyson’s hand, exposing her scarred forearm. Some scars white and barely raised. Some still red and scabbed.

Colette raised her purple gel pen. “Not failure. Look.”

Gently, she traced a word on Allyson’s arm, using the F as the first letter, the looping cursive gliding over old scars until it read, “Forgiven.”

Colette pulled out another pen, this one blue. She wrote, “Family of God.” Then, choosing a pink pen, she wrote, “Fabulous.”

Allyson giggled through her tears. “Fabulous?”

“Yeah you are, girl!” Colette grinned. Then she sobered, tears in her eyes. “Allyson. I love you. Seeing you in pain breaks my heart.”

“I know.” Allyson looked away.

“But God loves you even more than I do.” Colette pointed to the words on Allyson’s arm. “This is what God thinks of you. You are no failure, and you don’t need to carve a mark to tell yourself you are. It’s a lie. You’re forgiven, loved, a child of God in Christ.”

“I just…wanted to let some of the pain out.”

Colette held her hands. “You don’t have to shed your blood. Jesus already shed His.” She pointed at Allyson’s chest. “No matter how bad you feel about yourself, that’s not how He feels. To Him, you’re”—Colette pulled out a red pen and wrote—“flawless in Christ.”

Allyson nodded and gripped Colette’s hand.

“Is there someone you can talk to about this?” asked Colette.

Allyson nodded. She gave a shaky smile. “I don’t want to keep doing this. Can you go with me to the school counselor’s office?” • Alyssa Roat

• Have you or a friend ever been tempted to self-harm? What were you feeling? What are some other ways you could work through those feelings without self-harming?

• Stress, grief, or other difficult emotions can be overwhelming and confusing to deal with. What are some ways you can turn to God to help you deal with your emotions? Who is a trusted person you can talk to about these feelings—a counselor, a parent, a teacher, or someone else?

• It’s easy to forget who we are in Christ when we are experiencing hurts. What are some verses that can help you remember your identity and value in Christ?

• If you are self-harming or are thinking of self-harming and you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a licensed counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time).

He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 (CSB)