They Are Beautiful
Scars show us where we have been, they do not dictate where we are going. ― David Rossi
If you think about your past, I can guarantee you something comes to mind that was painful. Whether it was a person, circumstance, or an experience, everyone has something that has left a scar on their life.
Most people view scars as ugly and try to keep them hidden. They are embarrassed by the way they look and what people will think when they see them. They live their life in a way that allows them to not be seen, in essence, they let the judgment of others dictate how they live their life.
I have scars of my own, some physical, but a lot of them are internal. Things people have done to me have destroyed me and torn me down. I have let those wounds fester in the past and grow until they consumed me. I became angry and bitter and in doing so, I probably hurt other people. Isn't it true that misery loves company? I wanted others to feel the pain I had felt. I was selfish.
If I let a deep cut on my skin heal naturally, it can take a long time; but if I get stitches or dress it with a bandage and ointments, the healing time can significantly decrease. The same internally with our wounds. If we take care of them and nurse them they will heal quicker. They may not always heal back to perfection, but that's okay. Scars can be beautiful.
I saw a quote and I am not sure who said it, but it is what spurred this post.
My scars tell a story... they are reminders of when life tried to break me, but failed.
That's why I think scars can be beautiful. They can be reminders to us of what we have been through and all the hardships we have faced. They are little glimpses into our lives and where we got the strength or character to keep going — to never give up.
Don't hide your scars either, let people see them. Your scars are conversation pieces; they might be what someone needs to see, to know they can make it through. Some people just need hope and your war stories and scars may be what they have been looking for. If you hide them, people will never know.
If you do have scars, I want you to know that you are in great company! Jesus came to earth and was scared and wounded for you, for me.
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; -Isaiah 53:5-9
I think the part that gets me, He did all this for me but He did it because of me as well. I am a sinner, I was born that way and I will die that way. There is nothing I can do to change that and no matter how hard I try, I will always be that. Jesus came to this world for people like me. He came, knowing He would die. He knew it would be painful and yet He came anyway. He knew that even through His sacrifice, I would still mess up, and I would still run from Him at times. HE STILL CAME!
He suffered so I could be whole, so I could be healed. I am so thankful that He doesn't hide His scars from me. He proudly displays them so I am reminded that He went through all of this for me, for you! Scars are beautiful! Never forget that!