Turning Scars Into Stories | Gregory's Testimony

You know, in life we all have scars, mistakes we regret from the past, wounds from a hurtful experience. I have a few scars myself. Some are visible and some we cover up. Most are inside where they can't be seen. A failure, unwanted divorce, a mistake we can't take back. There's a difference between a wound and a scar. Wounds represent active pain and a work in progress, while scars display God's healing power. Psalm 1 in 47.3 says, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. The question is, are we still carrying the wounds from the past or allowing God to turn our scars into His stories? The challenge we face is that we try to hide our scars because they're painful, embarrassing. We don't want to tell our stories. What you don't understand is somebody who may be going through the same thing needs to relate with your experience. Scars are tattoos with better stories. Our scars serve as comfort to the wounded and honor to the healer. Your story could be their healing. Our scars are someone else's sign of hope that shows they can overcome just like you did. You know who else had scars? Jesus. You know, I always wondered why after He died a painful death, when He was resurrected, why He didn't come back perfect with no scars? Makes sense, right? But Jesus knew the greatest comeback needed a visible sign to prove the greatest story. How would doubting Thomas believe without seeing his scars? Jesus wasn't ashamed of His scars. He knew those scars would tell His story.

You see, the enemy wants to remind you of the pain of your scars, but God wants to remind you of the strength of your scars. Scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue. You have to realize with your scars you have more strength than ever before. You see, wrinkles mean you laughed. Gray hair means you cared. And scars mean you lived. They are a warrior's beauty marks. Your scars tell a story and they're a reminder of when life tried to break you, it failed. See, scars can turn a mistake into a miracle, a tragedy into a triumph, a setback into a story. That's what God did for my friend Gregory Longoria. Since he was a little boy, for most of his life, his dad has unfortunately been in prison. Because he didn't have a mentor, it looked like he was following the same path. He has a few scars. Yet God came through and turned his scars into stars. Watch his amazing story. So I know we're in an apartment complex and project, so to say. And I was about two. I know my dad went to prison, and he ended up doing 10 years. While I'm visiting him in prison throughout all those years, all he taught me was about how to fight, how to take care of myself. So I think that's where it started for me to, you know, get that mentality of that's what a man is about. You teach what you were taught. I was raised like that, you know, we were kids, you know, the kids ain't like the way we were. We were raised in the streets. I don't want to see my son struggle, you know. I wasn't there to see him struggle, you know, I know he did, you know, because he told me

on the phone and, you know, that hurts me, you know, being in here. I don't want that for him. I always wanted my dad. I wanted a wholesome family. I wanted my dad and my mom to be together. He was always a good little boy and smart little kid. As he got older, he was like a little man because everybody liked him. It was a hard time for him, you know, since I've been gone, you know, locked up. Well, I know he longed for his dad because he was about two and a half when he left. But they were really close, and they always had visits. When we started going to church, I want to say it was in 95. And I think that was the best thing for him. I think the only peaceful time that I had in my life, I felt it was whenever my mom and her husband would take us to church. And I didn't know it was going to have effect on me until later in my life. I was selling drugs, and I got pulled over with an amount of drugs, right? So I was in jail for a month. My daughter, she was about nine months. She touched the glass, and she looked up, and she looked down. And her eyes just started getting watery, like she was wondering why I couldn't touch, you know, why can't I touch my daddy? I felt something instantly, like, man, I feel like this is going to be on repeat. I'm going to give them the life that I had that I didn't like. And I said, you know what? I just awoke him, right?

When I got out, I had nothing. They evicted me from my apartment complex. So I lived in my car for about four months, for sure, I know. I felt the loneliest I've ever felt in my life. And that's whenever I thought back to the time where my mom would take us to church. I thought to that, and I said, you know what? I'm going to try something. So I started going to Lakewood Maximize Manhood. And I loved it. We were in the first book. And instantly, it hit me. I want to stop everything. Like, I want to get my family back. I want to be on my feet again. But I want to do it the right way. So I started a mobile mechanic business. It's called Quick Slick Mobile Mechanics. I don't know how, but they got me to come to this school for a tour. So we sit down at the end of the tour, and she goes, you didn't know this, but I was screening you for a position. And I'm like, what do you mean? She's like, how would you feel about teaching our mechanics division? Because we don't have a mechanics instructor. A little over two years, for sure, I've been teaching here every semester. God has set me up for success to be so secure,

to be able to get paid teaching, because I love interacting with the kids. Just giving them stories on life and guiding them like a mentor would that I didn't have. I see him now, and it's a big change, you know? And I'm so happy and proud of him because every dad wants what's best for their kid. I'm proud of what happened to him and the way he's came up and changed his life, because he's had a bit of a rough time since I've been gone. But believe me, that hurt me. And to see him now, you know, yeah, I'm proud of him. It wasn't until I hit rock bottom and didn't feel like nobody. And when I felt like a nobody is to where I reached out for God. And when I compare my second half of my life, because I mean, this happened when I was 20s, early 20s. So just this 10 years is way beyond and better than a regular natural living the way the world works. He takes care of me in so many ways that I don't expect it. And I do not worry. He taught me not to worry that he's gonna take care of me. As long as I do my part and have a relationship with him. And from there on, I never looked back. Come on, welcome to Longoria family. This is Gregory, this is his wife, Ashley. These are his beautiful children.

This is his daughter that put her hand on the window. So beautiful. You know, Gregory, your story is a miracle. You turned your scars into stars and you have your own business now. You're teaching young men and women how to do mechanics. And you remember the time when you were in the car, you never thought you'd be standing in front of all these people. But you know, there are people maybe here today that have some of those wounds that you had. What would you say to them today, just to encourage them? I would say that God will allow us to go through pain, but his plan is to turn that pain into purpose. So someone can, if we let him, right? Someone can shun God and end up living an unfulfilled life. But if we seek God, allow him to come into our life, he'll mold us and make us the person we're created to be and give us the life that we're supposed to have. Come on, come on, amazing. And you're believing that your dad's gonna come to Christ. Of course, yes. Yeah. I do believe that. He's witnessing to him right now. This is a beautiful family. Look at what God has done. And, you know, if God could do it for their family, maybe you have some wounds in your life right now that haven't healed. Experiences, hurtful, some-

Pain, God wants to do for you what He did for Gregory and his family. Or maybe you have scars and you've never told your story, and God wants to use your story to touch someone else. If that's you today, I just want you to lift up your hand. Either one of those things. Yeah, all over this building, all over this building. Let me pray for you right now. Let's pray for them right now, Greg. Father, I just believe and declare today that God, I don't know what somebody is walking through. Maybe they have some wounds that haven't healed. Maybe they've had experiences, God, that God, they've not seen that healing completed. But Father, just like you did for the Longoria family, I ask that by your stripes they are healed today. And that God, they're going on that healing process, that Father, you're going to turn their wounds into scars that are going to be used for stories, God. And Father, I just believe today, God, that something is shifting in them, just like it did for Gregory, Father, with his daughter. Father, it's shifting for them seeing this story. And Father, those that have had some scars from the past, don't let them be ashamed of that. You weren't ashamed, Father. But Father, let them share their story to touch somebody else's life. So Father, we believe that transformation is taking place, healing is taking place, and God will say it again. Thank you for what you did for the Longoria family. Do it for people here today, Father. Do the same for them, in Jesus' name. And if you receive it today, come on, let the Lord know, give Him a hand, clap of praise.