We All Have Scars...

Remember when you were a kid?  You would proudly display your scars letting everyone know how you got them. The more dangerous and exciting the story the better. You would even make things out of them. I have a scar on my hand shaped like a little alligator. It’s only after we age that we become embarrassed by our scars. We worry about being judged by others for how they look or how we got them. Don’t we do this emotionally? We are hurt, and instead of talking to others or working past the hurt, we hide our scars. I heard a d.j. on the radio mention that everyone has scars. We should not be afraid to show them. I’ve told my children that everyone has experiences and hurts from the past that color how they see the world.  So when my children are bullied or treated poorly to remember that the person doing it is probably speaking and acting from the pain of their scars. What if we were unafraid to let others see the real us? It may look something like this. “I have trust issues because I was hurt by someone from my past that I trusted who betrayed me. This is why I appear to be standoffish. I’m afraid to let others in.” I think that is how Jesus saw people. When the world looked at Zacchaeus, they saw a thieving tax collector. When Jesus looked at him, he saw a man who had known nothing but the cold shoulder. When he entered a room, others left it. But Jesus didn’t turn his back on him. He told him, “I’m willing to be seen with you. I’m willing to go to your house.” It changed Zacchaeus. When others looked at the woman at the well, they saw a promiscuous woman. They treated her so badly that she had to get water when no one else was around. When Jesus looked at the woman, he saw a woman who had been hurt by relationships and abandoned. He offered her acceptance. He was willing to be seen with a woman with scars. What about you? You may have scars, but those scars don’t make you any less beautiful to God. He sees the courage within you that made you not give up when things were hard. He sees the deep need for love and acceptance, and He’s willing to give that to you. Don’t be afraid to show your scars to God. Let God make something beautiful from the pain of your past.