Your beautiful scars…

Many of us have scars. While it’s true that God can heal you, and he’s perfectly willing and able to at any time, yet sometimes we can have scars that just might stay with us the rest of our lives depending on the kind of wound inflicted.

I’m talking about non-physical scars. Emotional wounds, spiritual wounds, mental wounds, all of which God can perfectly heal, and many—admittedly—healed without any scars or bad memories whatsoever. But some wounds leave scars behind.

For example, in my life one scar may have been caused by losing my dad when I was 7 years old. While it’s true that God has been my Father, and I had a couple uncles and a grandpa that stepped in and helped, the simple fact that I grew up without a dad left certain scars that cannot be completely eliminated no matter what.

But here’s God’s promise to those of you who have scars, regardless of whether or not those scars should still be there:

You are a crystal vase, and your scars are the etchings in the crystal that make it beautiful.

God promised that he will work all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). ALL things. For our GOOD. Every scar comes with an upgrade, a blessing, a gift that we would otherwise have not received. Think about that…

You receive grace and the “working together for good” every time you go through something that causes a scar. Lacking the scar, you would not have received that good thing. Therefore, the scars and troubles we live through are the crystal etchings that are the proof of all these gifts of grace, these “working together for good” experiences, these upgrades that make us more like Jesus every day.

Embrace your scars. “Count it all joy…whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2). You’re more beautiful than you otherwise would have been!