Scars Tell a Story

Scars tell a story.  Injuries heal with time; scars remain. 

I was going to post a few pictures of a variety of scars.  Old scars, however, do not photograph well.  Maybe there is a reason why. 

Most scars fade with time.  Some scars that form are relatively insignificant and don't have much to tell.  I have many small, barely visible scars.  I don't even remember the injury behind their birth.  I have others such as the one from chicken pox that is clearly visible to all.  It is a reminder to me of my family's month long encounter with chicken pox as it spread throughout the household.  There are six of us children.  My poor mother!

Other scars remind me to appreciate the life God has given me.  One is from a bone marrow biopsy I had when I was a freshman in high school.  Another medical concern led to blood tests that revealed a bigger concern.  I had the bone marrow biopsy to check for leukemia.  Fortunately, it came back negative and I moved on with my life, left with the scar to remember that scary time.  A series of scars recently acquired are the result of relief from years of pain, but I choose to be reminded of the lives issued forth from my body by the grace of God. I can no longer sustain the life of another in my womb, but I can appreciate the two daughters in my life even more so.  The scars will forever remind me of the blessings they are to me.

Still other scars come from wounds that don't heal well or wounds that run deep, remaining raised and discolored.  However, the scars that run the deepest are the ones hidden from the world.  Scars developed from emotional wounds form in our hearts.  Sometimes, we don't even allow the wounds to heal to the point of scarring, purposefully or subconsciously.  Sometimes, the wound begins to heal and scar, but something happens to us and we rip the wound wide open again.  The deeper, hidden wounds we do allow to heal, leave scars that tend to continue to cause us pain.  The stories behind these wounds and scars make us who are.

Scars are testament to a life lived.