scars

A while back I enjoyed a nice horseback ride with my two youngest children.

If you are looking for a total body workout – this is it. It was the first time with this trainer – and… a few days later – I still couldn’t move.

But I digress…

I ended up getting a boot burn on the inside of my calf. I made the mistake of wearing short socks and the way my boot rubbed on my leg while riding gave me a big ‘ol burn – like a rope burn. It’s pretty ugly – I won’t share pictures…

About a week later my husband told me that it would probably scar.

{bummer}

When I was in third grade I fell off my bike and skinned my knee on a bunch of gravel and dirt. I still have the scar… For years, however, I was self-conscious and wanted to cover it up.

I bet you have some scars like that too… In fact, I bet we could both share some scars that aren’t physical.

Scars.

We all have them… both physical and emotional.

Jesus has them too.

And He doesn’t hide them. The scars Jesus has on His hands, feet, side – and probably on His head from the thorny crown shoved on His brow – they are such a beautiful reminder of what He endured as our Savior.

But, it’s more than that. After Jesus rose from the dead and came to His disciples, the scars proved who He was to His followers. His scars proved that He did, indeed, die and was now alive! That it was HIM.

The scars Jesus has on His body serve to illustrate the incredible image of beauty coming out of the depths of ugly.

The marks are no longer a symbol of death ~ but of conquering death!

Hmmm…

I wonder if that is true of my own scars.

Could it be that the hurts and scars in my own life don’t have to be reminders of the ugly… but instead, these scars can bring me to recall the way my Jesus walked with me during those difficult times?

I’ve been drawn to a song Danny Gokey sings called, “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again”… such a beautiful encouragement to let yesterday’s door close and take a step into God’s abundant grace.

Take a listen… and be encouraged.

Your scars are not reminders of what has happened to you; rather, reminders of how your King walked you through.