how we wear our scars...

Scars. I think I've written about scares in earlier blogs, so I'm not sure why I feel a need to write about them again. I awoke this morning, & they were the topic of conversation in my head. Yes... I know I'm a bit strange (or quirky to say the least).

Someone recently pointed out to me (through her own blog) that some of us wear our scars for all to see. It's obvious to others what causes us to struggle. My thoughts this morning were in agreement with my friend. However, of course, my brain had to add its own twist. Whether our scars are physical or emotional, we do wear them for all to see. The question is... How do we wear them?

I have observed over the years that people generally don't see scars as beautiful. In fact, most people would do anything they could to erase their scars, both emotionally & from a cosmetic point of view.  I'd like to offer something different to this view of how we see our scars.

For years people have been teased for having scars. It's hard for me to process such cruelties, but it happens on playgrounds, in the lunch room, on the bus, within families, at church, at the workplace, and the list continues... I remember being teased as a little girl for things I couldn't help. I had no coordination & was always picked last for the team. I had anxiety, & I shook terribly if I had to perform in front of the class. I couldn't sing a note in tune. Again... the list continues.

Sad that we tend to remember hurtful words that were said to us... maybe about our intelligence, our weight, our troubles, our physical features (the size of our nose, our big feet, or whatever). Here's the thing... As we begin to overcome our scars, to see them as beautiful because they have brought dimension to our lives that we would otherwise not have known, it changes how we feel about our scars & possibly, how we wear them.

When we begin to use our scars as a tool to reach out to others with similar pain, our scars begin to heal. It's strange that something we once found hideous becomes a treasure. We realize that perhaps God allowed our scarring so that we might be deeper individuals, & more readily accepted by people in a similar boat. I believe this is a miracle that only comes from God. He has a knack for taking the ugly & making it beautiful, for bringing good from evil, for healing us when we least expect it.