You probably know the feeling. Something happens, and life as you know it will never be the same again. Whether you were responsible for it, or something happened which was entirely out of your control, you are probably familiar with some of these feelings; feelings of intense pain, numbness, or shame.
We don’t always like to talk about our scars. There is a perfectly good reason for it: scars were formed because we were once in pain. Sometimes, our scars are a lingering reminder that the pain has not disappeared entirely yet, and may never will.
We never have to waste a good scar.
Our scars invite us to take decisive action. We may choose to hide our scars like they never happened. We may hide it so that no one can see. Many of us may even hide our scars from ourselves. We may think that if we suppress an event, we will be able to carry on with life as if it never happened. But if we ignore it, we suppress the light of God to shine on every crack and crevice of our lives. Without light, growth and healing cannot take place.
Our pain always has the potential for purpose. Within the right context and with wisdom, if we allow others to hear our painful stories, we create hubs for healing. As we share some of the darkness we have had to face, the light of God often starts shining on the darkness of others.
The thing is: if you have experienced hurt, you can be assured that others have also. If you have a story of brokenness to share, others will connect with your story.
Our scars, our biggest failures, and our hurts have the agency to be useful. A scar is not only evidence of previous pain, but also a story of restoration, a story of a work in progress.
The words of Jesus in John 16:33 always remind me of my place and posture in this world: “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
Our scars remind us that this godless world has not had the final say, and it won’t in the future. Our scars remind us to take heart in the One who heals what this broken world tries to destroy.
What a beautiful promise that when we put our trust in Jesus, while we are living in this crazy world, we can be deeply at peace. And that is such a compelling argument for why we need not hide our scars.
When we make ourselves vulnerable, when we bear our blemishes, we choose to tell a story. Ours is a story of imperfection and brokenness, a story of hurt and loss, a story of stupid mistakes and second chances multiplied by thousands. The beauty is this: we are deeply at peace, unshakable and assured. Our trust is in the One for whom darkness is as light (Ps. 139:12).
Your scar and your story of struggle might be what someone else needs to hear today. It has the potential to point someone to the One who has conquered the world.
Anru Liebenberg 
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