Pastoral Pearls: Scars
"My Scars tell a story. They are a reminder of times when life tried to break me, but failed. They are markings of where the structure of my character was welded.” ~ Steve Mariboli
I like this quote as it goes with the Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent reading in A Season of Hope (for Seniors).” That reflection spoke of a woman who described her scars as a road map she hoped would lead her to eternal life. Everybody suffers. Everybody has scars. Mostly, like me, we like to keep them hidden, because we think they are ugly, unsightly, or maybe they remind us of an unpleasant incident. But what if I were to change the way I viewed my scars? What if I, too, saw them as “My Story,” reminders of my courage, strength, and overcoming? What if I saw them as beautiful illustrations on a treasure map, one that leads me to the ultimate treasure of an eternity in my happy place with God? My scars have made me who I am, who I am supposed to be, who God wants me to be, and they will continue to do just that. A friend recently told a story of being pressured to get a tattoo. He declined saying, “No, I prefer to have the scars I already have, and the stories that go with them.” I embrace my roadmap. I am intrigued by the treasure map that will continue to lead me, I hope, toward my forever with God. In the meantime, I know I will have many stories of character-building events marked by my beautiful, God-given scars. Embrace your scars as beauty marks and badges of courage – maybe even God’s “gold stars” - and see how that might change your perspective, … open you up to God.
Loving God, Thank you for each and every one of my scars.
With your help may I begin to see them NOT as ugly, but as points on my map to heaven; rather than signs of failure, may they be signs of hope and strength and resilience.
May they also give me empathy for the suffering of others, as we all share that in common.
In awe and wonder for your great love, we thank you. ~ Amen