Scars

Some are visible reminders of physical wounds, raised, pink, and puckered. Some scars fade and are only visible if you look really hard. 

Battle scars we'd called them. The scars we got from skinned knees and elbows. Usually the result of falling off of bikes, learning how to roller skate and jumping out of swings while on the up swing. 

I remember climbing to the top of the jungle gym when I was 7. I got to the top and was so proud of myself! Until I realized I had to get down... I sat at the top and contemplated how I could get down and started to become afraid. It was a long drop to jump. I was afraid I'd fall through the bars if I tried to climb back down.

Recess was over and the teacher blew her whistle. I froze. I was too afraid to move. Everyone had lined up to go back in and I was the only kid left sitting at the top of the jungle gym. I started to cry. The teacher kept blowing her whistle. Then she became angry and started to yell. I can't remember what she said but as she walked towards me I cried even harder. I was too scared to tell her I was scared. 

I looked down at the ground (that seemed an eternity away) and jumped. As I hit the ground I bit my lower lip and it started to bleed. I cried. Hard.

The teacher that was angrily blowing her whistle helped me out through the bottom rungs, and helped get me to the school nurse. The nurse sat me up on her table and cleaned my lip with peroxide. My mom showed up and I got to go home with a baggie of ice to hold on my lip. To this day, I can still see this scar whenever I apply my lip gloss.

Stitches.

Last year I went to the dermatologist to have some irregular looking moles examined. Several were sampled and sent off to the lab. These little guys had been with me for years. For the next few weeks after their removal, I would look in the mirror at the fresh, pink, baby skin that was still tender and it just didn't look right without those silly little freckles. 

They called me back a week later to tell me I needed to come back in because one of my moles "was suspicious looking" they wanted to cut into my skin around the biopsy "just to be sure". 

Back I went. I had no idea this was going to be a minor surgery! They draped me with a sterile sheet that had a hole in it for the area to be excavated. I only felt tugging and pulling. 

Specific instructions were given on how to care for my stitches. 

Later that night my hubby helped me clean and dress my wound. My son was fascinated with the stitches.

Fast forward to today. My forearm has a nice little scar. I admit I"m a little self conscious of it because it's not very pretty to look at but, I'm very thankful for the precautionary measures my dermatologist took to keep me healthy.

Emotional Scars.

When life is unkind. Tragedies occur. Unexpected loss. Grief. Pain. 

Deep. Jagged. Cuts. Straight to the heart.

Emotional wounds of the heart need TLC just like a regular wound.

Cleansing.

Stitches.

Bandages.

Time.

Sometimes when the emotional wound is particularly deep. We need the Great Physician.

Only He can cleanse and dress our emotional wounds. He can heal the most painful of hurts.

He can bring light to the dark places.

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds Psalm 147:3 GNB

Just like a seasoned heart surgeon, He will carefully stitch the deep jagged places. His steady hands working carefully as he pulls his healing threads through.

Over, under and again.

Ever so gently does he tie the ends to hold it together until the pieces have fused back together. 

They fuse together but they don't look like they did before. The scar that forms is thick and smooth. It's stronger than the tissue that it once was. 

Just like us.

Our wounds. 

They make us into who we are.

The once jagged places fuse and the scar forms. 

We become stronger.

Stronger and more resilient than we were before.

Jesus bore the physical scars. I'm sure he had some emotional scars too. Especially knowing beforehand that a friend that he held as close as a brother would betray him. Not once. Not twice. Three times. 

God placed him here on earth for a time. Specifically for us. He was tempted. He was burdened. He was insulted. Every feeling we've ever felt, he would feel it. 

He knows how we hurt and he has the scars to prove it.

Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 GNB

Linking up today with Bonnie at The Faith Barista :)

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/2219735238/">Leo Reynolds</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>


10 Comments

  1. So true, and thank God for that healing! Do you know the Jonny Diaz song "Scars"? This is the chorus:

    Praise God we don't have to hide scars.
    They just strengthen our wounds, and they soften our hearts.
    They remind us of where we have been, but not who we are.
    So praise God, praise God we don't have to hide scars

    I think we all have emotional scars of some kind--some deeper than others--and this song really speaks to me.

    Thanks for sharing your heart!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Melissa :)
      I haven't heard this song but will definitely look it up for a listen. Can't wait to hear it!
      Have a blessed day,
      Krista

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  2. "I was too scared to tell her I was scared."
    I've been there before (and since age 7 too). But I love the reminder that our Great Physician will always be there to bind our wounds, even if we are scared almost to death.

    I recently did the dermatologist thing too and got some spots removed (all clear, thankfully). Seeing the fresh skin is a strange phenomena. Would love to see how that looks in the spirit as the Lord daily washes us clean....

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    1. You've definitely got me thinking Lisa! Wow, how would that look in the spirit?.... I could only imagine but even then it's probably more magnificent than my imagination can take me. Wow, wow, wow!!! :)
      Thanks for sharing that amazing thought.
      Blessings to you,
      Krista

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  3. Great post and analogy for life's wounds... " We need the Great Physician"....so very true. He is our Healer! Stopping over from Faith Barista today.

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    1. Hi Renee :)
      Thanks for stopping by!
      He is SO GOOD isn't He?
      Have a blessed day!
      Krista

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  4. "Deep. Jagged. Cuts. Straight to the heart." For sure. I love how you describe Jesus as stitching our hearts so tenderly and how the tissue is actually stronger than before. Thank you, Krista, for blessing me today.

    I love the lyrics you shared here, Melissa. Thank you!

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    1. Thanks Trudy, for dropping in! :)
      I'm glad I could be a blessing.
      So thankful for our great physician!
      Blessings,
      Krista

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  5. May His love be a healing balm for all who hurt...

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    Replies
    1. Amen and Amen!
      Thanks for stopping by HisFireFly :)
      Be blessed,
      Krista

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