Scars - by Amy D. Polson

Scars. We all have them, whether from cuts, scrapes, burns, or surgeries. My children are always showing me their scars and scabs and telling me about each one. My scar is 7 ½ inches long. However, many of us know the scars don’t stop at the first layer of skin, or the second, or the third. Some scars go down to the bone and into the marrow. And some scars cut all the way to the heart of us. And the pain is so real and fresh as the day we received the infliction. We work hard to cover our physical scars, and even harder to hide those scars that run deeper than our flesh. I look at my scar and it is still grievous to me in many ways. It is ugly and painful. It’s a reminder, right or wrong, of all the things I am not and will never be. It’s a scar resulting in the death of a dream, a hope. It’s a scar bearing the uncertainty of my future and the pain of what’s been lost. Recovering will be long and hard – and I’ve only just begun! But what good will it do to hide it? Hiding it away will allow the scar on my soul to infect me right down to the marrow and distort who I really am. It could continue to grow leaving a strangling web of scar tissue in its wake, choking out the very person God intended me to be. Dr. Stamps said in chapel recently, “God may not have planned it, but he can make a plan out of it!” How will we wear these scars, both physically, emotionally, and mentally? How will we come to view them in the light of Jesus? How will we use them for His glory? Ann Voskamp wrote in a recent post at A Holy Experience “Only the Word is the answer to rightly reading the world — because The Word has nail-scarred hands that cup our face close, wipe away the tears running down, has eyes to look deep into our brimming ache, and whisper, “I know. I know.” He shows us His scars. He knows. He knows.” Maybe your scar, my scar will open a beautiful opportunity to say to someone who is hurting, “I know. He knows.” He knows all about scars – physical scars, emotional scars. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” He even knows about our scars and scars yet to come. He just waits for us, waits with us. Because He knows. There is no hiding from Him and no shame in the suffering. Ann Voskamp adds, “The scar-stories matter not because of the pain but because of what the scarred can make of Him — and there is always the choice to be sorry for our selves or bring glory to our Savior.” She reminds us of Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” "No matter how deep the pit is, HE is deeper still." Corrie Ten Boom