An Old Scar Made Visible
Have you ever gotten a bruise and wondered, “Where did that come from?” I saw one of those on my hand the other day. It didn’t hurt; it was just several interesting colors. But what I noticed was an old scar became visible. When I was really young my dog, Kirby, bit me. That scar on my hand was red and bumpy for years. It used to bug me until it faded and got lost in my adult wrinkles. I forgot all about that day in the backyard – a day when I learned not to tease a dog with food. Yep, Kirby thought I was a piece of meat – my own fault.
Anyway, when I looked down at the bruise today, it made me think about all the scars I have that are invisible until something makes them come back to the surface. Sometimes I see something, or someone says something, that brings back a painful memory; or, like today, I’m not clear what has made my scar reappear, but there is no hiding when that happens.
It wasn’t a huge leap to start thinking about all the people that I’ve talked with and ministered to over the years that are wounded. We all have scars that are invisible until something brings them to the surface. We all have some things we would like to keep hidden or forget about, but those things are still part of our life story. Sometimes we need to do something about the scars, like the one on my elbow where the internal stitches are festering to the surface long after surgery. Sometimes, like the scar on my hand, it’s just a reminder of my youthful stupidity. But the bottom line is that our scars have helped shape us and mold us into the people we are today.
My goal is to embrace my scars as signs of my growth over the years and to find ways to use them to help others through painful moments. When someone’s scars are showing, I choose to have empathy. I choose to listen as they talk about the scars, to give away hope and to walk with them through the process of healing when needed. Honestly, making the choice not to turn away from scars isn’t always easy, but definitely rewarding. When I see a scar healing, fading into a distant memory or into something that spurs a person into a healthier, more productive future, my heart leaps for joy. I encourage you to take the leap and choose to use your healed scars as a beacon of hope and healing for others, whose scars have just become visible.