Without Scars...No Story

There is something special about getting together with friends and reminiscing about old ‘war’ stories. I take great pride when someone notices the long jagged scar underneath my chin. I take them back to a time that I don’t even remember – I only have heard my family tell the story two million times. I fell down off a stool at the destructive age of two and split my chin wide open. Every year I come up with a higher number of stitches than it actually took to sow up my wound. I believe at last count it took 462 stitches in order for it to heal properly.

The scars are not usually what bother us, for it is the experience of obtaining those scars that we often times want to avoid.

Without the wound, there would never be a scar…without the scars, there would never be a story…

Time's Square Flag
(New York, NY)

In John 20, you can read where Jesus rose from the grave after His cruel death on the cross. He appeared to show Himself to His disciples, but Thomas was not there when He first appeared unto them. (Vs 25) “So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

We live in a world that is filled with skepticism. Many individuals truly wonder how that Christ could love them after all they have done. There are those who doubt how that a companion or friend could actually change and become new after the life they have lived.

National Mall - Washington Monument
(Washington, D.C.)

With all of these questions abounding in the world, many Christians are afraid to show their scars…while many professing Christ followers refuse to endure the ‘process’ of maturing in Him because we rebuff being wounded.

Babies fall off of stools and get wounded. I’ve learned the hard way growing up that you don’t put your hands on things that are hot because you will get burned. Maturing in the physical realm is often painful because some things just have to be experienced.

It is no different in the spiritual realm. We come to Christ and are made new, but there are moments after we take up our cross and follow Him that we get wounded. We go back to the grace giver to be healed and scars are left to tell the story. Without wounds – no scars. Without scars – no story.

Your circle of influence does not need Mr. or Ms. Perfect. What they need to see is what Jesus has healed and made new. We need more Christians unafraid to be wounded, for a doubting world needs to see our scars and hear the story that follows.