Scars

By

B.J. Knefley

Every morning when I stand before the mirror I am reminded of the scars on my body. Primarily the result of one surgery, they decorate my upper body and remind me of the blessing of life for without them I probably wouldn’t be here today. I have other scars too. Some you can’t see because the doctor painstakingly sewed me back together with such precision that they’re virtually invisible.

Scars are normal in life. They come in many ways. Some are planned, others are not. Some are seen, some are not. Regardless, they each tell a story. For example, I have one on my head that came as a result of being hit with a can full of rocks that a girl threw. We were swimming and diving for the can. I guess I got in the way of her throwing. The most difficult scars are the ones that came as the result of emotional trauma and deep woundedness. Those are hidden and out of sight and often we don’t want to bring them up because they’ve never healed.

I believe that it is those wounds, the wounds of the soul, that cause us the greatest stress and unhappiness. It is often the source of our fears, anxiety, worry, depression and anger to name just a few things that our hidden wounds and scars can produce. The question is always about what are you going to do with them? How they got there can’t be changed. We often feel alone in our struggles but ironically, we’re not alone. The things we feel are common. Healing doesn’t come by hoarding the feelings and emotions but letting them out. Setting the prisoner free is when we talk about the wound and scar. Amazingly it is like a healing salve. Telling others breaks the secret hold of shame, guilt, anger and other bent up emotions.  In telling our story brings healing and freedom to others.

When we learn to celebrate the scars in our life, we receive freedom from their power. Rather than giving them power to take us down, we use that same power to lift us up. The choice, and it is always a choice, is ours. It starts a journey to a better place. Think about it.