Healing

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The Scars

Scars are visible reminders of wounds that have already healed. Over time the scars become less visible. A lot of the time, we don’t want to show our scars. We’re embarrassed by them. We think they make us ugly hence laser scar removal surgeries and such. But have you ever stopped to think about the positive side of scars? Well, I hadn’t either until a good friend of mine told me about a different kind of scar and why I shouldn’t be afraid to wear it.
During a rough time in my life I remember wondering why God would let me go through something like this. I wondered how it could bring glory to God, okay, I’ll admit it. I didn’t care. I didn’t want to go through it and I wasn’t interested in how it could bring glory to God. All I cared about was why I had to suffer through it. Ironically, most of it had been of my own doing. I had made some pretty bad choices and ended up in a big mess and here I was again pleading with God to bail me out yet again.
What was rough was the depression I was suffering. Now I know I had caused most of the consequences I was experiencing, but the despair of life was killing me. I longed for death. I begged God to take my life. I agonized just to live. It was during that time that I sought the help of my friend. During that time, she ministered to me with God’s Word. Through her, others and the prayers of many, I was experiencing healing.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time I had experienced this. This was a repeat performance and one which might even repeat yet again. The toll these sagas were taking on me was showing. The wounds of the past were healing, but scars remained. My friend Cheryl told me not to hide these scars, but to wear them as reminders of the healing. “It’s the scars,” she said, “that remind us of the healing and the scars that will keep the shame away. It’s the scars that will tell others the stories of our healing.”
As I write this, I’m reminded of a friend of mine who is not ashamed to wear her scars. Her name is Lena. She was raised by an abusive, alcoholic father and a neglectful, slightly mentally unstable mother. She actually raised herself and her three siblings in poverty. Instead of dwelling in her wounds or hiding them, she has chosen to allow Christ to heal them and now to use them to tell her stories. As a result, her family and her readers (she’s an author) are touched by Jesus.
Do you have scars? They could be emotional or physical. It doesn’t matter. They tell a story. It might not be a pleasant one. It may be one that is difficult to remember because of the trauma. But, healing came. And it’s good to share the stories of healing. It encourages others. Cheryl shared one other tidbit with me about scars. She reminded me that Jesus chose to keep His scars and He chose to show His scars. Interesting, don’t you think?

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