June 26, 2014

The Beauty of Our Scars

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  Psalm 147:3

I recently watched an IMAX film about Great White Sharks.  Seeing such mighty predators glide gracefully through the water was mesmerizing.  What I quickly noticed was that each shark was covered in scars from tooth to tail...and yet they were absolutely stunning in their beauty.

The narrator mentioned how these markings, which varied from individual to individual, told what all the shark had experienced and survived.  I began thinking about my own scars and the stories they had to tell.  The 3" gash on the back of my left calf tells of a run-in with a bull at 8 years old, the road rash mark on the inside of my right wrist tells of a daring downhill adventure on a skateboard at 13 (this was back in the day when Christian Slater was "Gleaming the Cube" and hanging on my wall).  Yes, there are times that I'm all dressed up for a special night out with my hubby when I glance the tell-tell signs of a tomboy past and wish I had taken better care of myself.  But most of the time, the scars make me laugh.  Each one comes with a memory and a lesson learned along the way.  They are proof that I have experienced life and survived.

If only it were as easy to see my emotional scars with that same grace.  Sometimes, when God heals us from painful circumstances, a scar remains.  I have often prayed for God to remove all evidence of past hurts and mistakes but I'm starting to understand that even scars have their purpose.  Just like my skateboarding scar has served as a reminder to weigh the probability of survival before launching down a hill, there's a scar on my heart reminding me to let God provide the friendships He desires to bless me with rather than launching into relationships He never intended.  The freckles and sunspots from hours in the great outdoors remind me to cover myself in sunscreen while the spots on my heart remind me to cover myself in the protection that comes with obedience to God's Word. 

Let's try together to start viewing our emotional scars as beautiful testimonies of what we have experienced and survived instead of shameful reminders of mistakes gone by.  Each one a tale to tell and hope of healing to others we meet along the way. 

P.S. - I can't wait to see Jesus' beautiful nail scarred hands.  Now there's scars that tell an amazing story worth sharing!


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