Scars

Scars usually are not a pretty sight! Sometimes they bear a memory we would like to forget or  lessons we wish we didn't have to learn. When we look at them, we see something that isn't as it was meant to be, or rather... how we think it was originally designed. Sometimes a scar looks like a bad imposter of what once was or the best repair job we could find. The thing about a scar is... we have to learn to live with it. Depending on it's visibility, or how much it bothers us, living with a scar can be exhausting.

If we are human, we bear emotional scars. Learning to live with them (even if they cannot be seen physically) can be one of our greatest growth factors as a person. Our tendency (as humans) is to sweep our broken pieces under a rug & pretend our hurts never happened. Sad to say, if we don't deal with our heartache, it only comes back to haunt us. And sometimes, it comes back to haunt us even when we take the time & mental energy to find peace.  In this case, we may have to go back to the drawing board again & again.

What I realized last night (as I lie in my hotel bed pondering my own scars) is this: Scars are not meant to permanently cripple us but rather to grow us. As we learn to live with our scars (both physical & emotional), God refines our hearts & matures us into deeper, better human beings. That is... if we allow Him to do His magic. If we try to stuff our emotions & hide our scars, I think we cripple ourselves & shortchange God. Yes, He can accomplish His will whether we comply or not, but our refining is best, if we let our Master Creator do His work. His beauty will radiate, & His will be done. Our scars will go from being unsightly to representing  miracles. Therein lies the beauty!

Sometimes we bear a scar that seems overwhelming, a scar that may hinder us in our relationships. We might be born with this thorn, or as in other cases, it may come later in life. What we often don't realize is this: the very scar that we abhor, may become our greatest protection. Let's face it... scars can thwart our relationships. Sometimes, it takes a special person (on the other end) to see the beauty in our sorrow. I believe God draws us to each other through our trials, & comforts us with people who have the depth to bear our scars with us. They look at us & see a whole person. They see God's handiwork in our misshapenness, & they love us, with a Godly love, a love so strong, we can see His refinement.