“Scars” by Robin Gilbert

Recently, I was in line at a store and behind me was a young lady who had three children, in front of me was a young man who was 23 years old his face and hands were covered with scars and he was in a wheelchair.

The children were running around their mothers’ legs, laughing and playing when one of them noticed the young man in front of me. The little girl gasped, and her brother immediately came to see what had caught her attention. As the three children slowly repositioned themselves to get a better look, the mom scolded them and told them to come and stand by her, then she apologized. The young man assured her there was no need to apologize.

Then the little girl asked what happened to his hands and face. He answered by telling them that he was in an accident. “Did it hurt?” one of the kids asked. “Yep”, he said, “it hurts every day, but it is my fault that I am in pain.” The little boy asked why. The young man replied, “because when I was young, I did not listen to my mother. I did not do what she told me to do. I thought I was smarter than my mother and I hung out with the wrong people and got hurt.” He finished by telling the children to always obey their mother, pick good friends in school, and go to church. The mother thanked him with tears in her eyes as she gathered her children close.

As I watched the interaction, I thought to myself. We all have scars, external and internal. Scars are evidence of wounds. While most external scars are easy to hide, many of us are living with internal scars; maybe it was something a parent said or didn’t say. A betrayal by a trusted friend. A promise or vow a spouse didn’t keep. A dream shattered by a boss or coach or spiritual leader you once admired. A misunderstanding among neighbors, friends or business partners.

Our scars come from wounds that stemmed from something unexpected, something unthinkable, something unspeakable. Our scars come from blindsided wounds and unforeseen circumstances.

Whether it happened yesterday or twenty years ago, it still hurts. Although we would rather not revisit the source of that particular pain, the sting is impossible to erase. It resurfaces when we least expect it and flares up, though we try to suppress it, reminding us that we are no longer whole. Reminding us that we were wounded.

Scars are reminders of the wounds we’ve endured. They trigger memories of the traumatic experiences we’d rather forget. We think scars are ugly. That’s why we’re driven to alter them, minimize them, or hide them.

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.” Psalm 34:18 New English Translation

The good news is that God longs to transform the scars of our wounded hearts into marks of beauty. He uses them to bless the world. God transforms our scars into purposeful wounds that become life testimonies. Our scars remind us that God is redeeming what we’ve suffered and can heal us from the inside out, creating beauty from what we once thought was so very ugly.

Maybe your heart feels as if it’s bleeding right now, and healing seems impossible. Trust that the God who created you and loves you is able to and will heal every broken place.

Written by Robin Gilbert ~

Robin is a former Pastor and an ordained minister and a native of Denver, Colorado, who made Huntsville her home in 1982. Robin and her husband, Minister Isaiah Gilbert conduct Real Life Bible Studies through their ministry Our Church Without Walls. She is the founder of the Alabama Christian Business Association, a faith-based nonprofit organization that aids in the startup and connection of Christian owned businesses, and she has authored and published numerous books among which are Dear God…It’s Me – A Meditation Journal, The Ministers Resource Book, and What is…Asked Javien, a Christian children’s book collection.

Robin is a proud mother of four adult children, a mother-in-law and a grandmother of five, which she thanks God for each and every day. A powerful, dynamic, speaker Robin uses the gifts of the Spirit to speak from her heart and soul with a genuine love for whom God made her and for what she does. When asked how and/or why she does all that she does, she simply replies… “I Am The Lord’s”.

Tags: beauty marks, healing, Robin Gilbert, scars, wounds