Scars

Most people have a scar of some sort on their body. Whether it is from a childhood accident, or a traumatic experience, most wounds leave a lasting impression on the physical body. You may not be able to remember where a particular scar came from, but many times you can look at it and remember how you got the wound. My 4 yr old has a scar right under her bottom lip. She had fallen down a few stairs onto concrete and busted her lip. And as she gets older, the scar still remains. I’m sure she doesn’t remember it or even notice its existence, but I know it’s there and where it came from. I used to ask my husband about certain scars I noticed on him. Some were from childhood fights, others from accidents at work. The truth about scars is that they often tell a story. They take us back to where and when we received them. People that have gone through a traumatic experience may have extensive scars over their body that will be a constant reminder of that moment. Some may also look at their scars as a “right of passage”. A woman may look at her stretch marks as a beautiful reminder. I saw a picture online once of a woman’s stretch marks and it mentioned not to be sad or disgusted by them because they were like the stripes of a tiger, and a symbol of strength. Some scars can’t be seen because they’re internal. The story behind emotional, spiritual, and mental scars can all be just as powerful as a healed knife wound. The heart and mind often hold onto wounds that won’t allow it to heal properly, and if not dressed and treated appropriately, that same wound can re-open over and over again. Many have been spiritually scarred due to previous experiences in the church; being wounded by other Christians. Things like that can damage a person’s spirit to the point that they never allow themselves to develop a relationship with the Lord. The Bible tells us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) God knows every scar on our body, both internal and external. He knows the story behind it. He remains close hoping that we won’t fall over and over again, but if we do, He’s there to pick us up. If you look at it from a different perspective, scars are in many ways blessings. They’re God’s way of showing us that some sort of healing is going on.