Scars that Tell a Story

Both in its physical and emotional forms, "hurt" is an inescapable part of life. Some of us seem to be more exposed to it than others, which does not seem fair. Regardless of it's severity, it's a very difficult thing to deal with. When we are hurt by others we can attempt to withdraw from relationships as much as possible to minimize the chances of getting hurt again. We can alternatively look for something or someone to cover up the past hurts. We are let down when we realize these reactions do nothing to heal the wounds. Hurt is sometimes self-induced instead of inflicted by others. We make bad choices, and the result is pain for both ourselves and others that are affected. And then there are those hurtful situations in which no one seems directly responsible. Sickness, death, and other circumstances of life are just out of anyone's control. These often prove to be the most difficult of all.

Over time, wounds from hurts turn into scars.

After the initial wounding, there is a journey through the healing process. Sometimes that journey is long and painful. Many of our wounds leave scars (both physical and emotional). These scars feel ugly, so we want to hide them from others. We do not even want to look at them ourselves.

Often, our only option is to table the "why" questions.

From the moment of being hurt, we want to know "Why?". I believe it would be arrogant and presumptuous to try to answer that question. From my experience, and hearing others' talk about their hurts, the honest answer to this most difficult question is "I don't know". But we are hesitant to say those words out of fear of looking ignorant, feeling pressure to have all the answers, or wanting so badly to say the right thing to someone we know needs comfort. Thankfully, the truth is we don't need answers to be comforted, and we don't need answers to be a comfort to others.

The point of any story is rarely understood until the conclusion.

Jesus was wounded in many ways up until his crucifixion. Even after his resurrection, Jesus was left with scars from the wounds He received. These scars are mentioned in John 20 when Thomas asked to touch them in order to know if it was actually Jesus or an imposter. As Thomas saw the scars and touched them, he immediately knew it was Jesus. The scars on Jesus' hands, feet, and side identified Him. They told a story. At that point, Thomas and others began to understood what once was a mystery to them. I suspect many of us will one day touch those scars ourselves in awe of what took place in the making of those scars, and what they truly mean.

Our scars will tell a story, too.

We, ourselves, have scars that will one day tell a story. But for now, the wounds and scars are a mystery. Most of them will likely remain that way for a while. The point of hurt may not be that our scars will one day tell a beautiful story, and it certainly does not fix anything even if they did. However, it may can be a source of hope for us if they do.