Scars

My wife wrote what may be the most profound words to come from her mind on her blog this week.

It was nearly a year ago when she was injured in an auto accident, suffering extensive trauma to her right hand. She was kind of recounting that experience on her blog when she wrote:

"...God is always there with us no matter what and will help us through it. I have
scars to remind me every day how good God really is!!"

One doesn't always associate the scars of life as being a gift from God, but I think that sometimes we need those scars. Whether they're physical or mental, those scars act as markers of things we've been through in our life. They're road signs in our life that we look back on to remember what has happened.

What's interesting about scars is how we each perceive them differently. To one person, a scar can be something they're proud of. It might symbolize either a heroic act, or some tormoil that the individual successfully navigated. To another person, a scar is hideous and ugly, and a reminder of the pain that caused it.

Scars are painful to obtain, but they signify healing. With a scar, the wound has closed, it no longer oozes, and the scab has fallen away. The scar typically carries a lesson learned. For someone who has relied on God to get them through the trauma, that scar can act as a road sign pointing to how God helped the individual through the tough time.

I like to think that Peter used some emotional scars for that purpose in his life. In our Bible, Peter is known for both his boldness and his uncanny ability to stick his foot in his mouth. Such was the case when he vowed he'd never let any harm come to Jesus, only to follow it with his denial of Christ. That last line that tells how Peter went out and wept bitterly suggests a deep wound opened in his heart. Earlier in the evening his pride caused him to make a vow he'd never be able to keep. Even though he did try to defend Jesus. when the pressure increased, Peter crumbled.

Fortunately, Jesus still had plans for Peter. After his resurrection, Jesus pulled Peter aside and made a healed scar out of that emotional wound. It would be a short time later that Peter would fulfill the prophetic calling on his life and be the instrument God used to establish the church.

God has a plan for you, no matter the junk you've gone through. He wants to use your situation and turn it to good if you'll let Him. So, if you're struggling with how to view your scars, consider again what my wife said, "I have scars to remind me every day how good God really is!"