John 20:26-27 – A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." (NIV)

If you look very closely right next to my left eye on my nose, you will see a tiny little scar. Like every scar, it has a story. I'm not sure how old I was at the time but I know not more than 4 or 5. I remember what happened as if it were yesterday. Being a dog lover, I guess, from birth, I remember mistakenly trying to pet a little dog that lived at a house where we were visiting. Since I have "flashbacks" when I see a Boston Terrier, I assume that was the breed of this not-so-happy-with-life dog. When I reached to rub his cute little head, his cute little teeth planted themselves on my nose right between my eyes. It seems like he hung there for hours until someone noticed my fate! I guess if I had been smart, that incident could have ended my relationships with dogs altogether, but it has never affected my love for dogs, even though the scar stands as a reminder of that fateful day!

Scars always have a story. If you don't believe it, sit in a group of us seniors when we start to share our surgery stories. I have seen more scars in those settings than I ever wanted to see, anywhere from gallbladder scars to hip surgery scars, every shape, length, and width. Baby showers are also a perfect place to hear and share old battle scars and childbirth stories.

Some scars cannot be seen so well, because they lie deep within our hearts, hidden sometimes for years. They all tell a story, but because of shame, guilt, or the sheer fear of feeling vulnerable, we hide them away so that no one can see them. The scars of betrayal, abandonment, or even our own sin lie in the darkness of our hurt.

Dear one, to bring them out and give them to our Healer would not only benefit us but could help our fellow sufferers. Just as the disciples recognized the resurrected Jesus by His scarred hands and feet, others will recognize the Healer by our scars.

Recently, I read a summary of Sharon Jaynes' book, Your Scars are Beautiful to God and loved what it said about scars: "Sharon takes us on a journey to discovering peace and purpose in the pain of our past by rejecting the lie of disqualification, resisting the fear of rejection, and releasing the power of our own personal stories. Learn to see your scars through God's eyes — your scars are beautiful to God." They show others that there is a history of healing.

In other words, don't waste a good "scar story". Use them to help others to heal! They are diamonds in the rough in God's economy. Invest them in the kingdom!

Prayer: Precious Lord, Your Word says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story" (Psalm 107:2a NIV 2011). That includes our hurts, broken hearts, and, yes, our scar stories. May we have opportunity to share Jesus. Amen.

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About the author:

Jeanie Nihiser <jnihiserj@gmail.com>
Geneseo, New York, USA
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