Scars

I was looking at my most recent scar recently, and amazed at how distinct it still is. Doesn't hurt at all, but is distinctly there. It got me thinking about some of my other scars. I have one on my finger, from ice while adventuring out with some little people in the freezing cold, middle of Wales, and a couple on the base of my foot from a rock pool off the south of France. There is the one on my forehead from moving day in Hong Kong, and then there are the ones that I have no memory of, like the one on my wrist.

The thing with them all is, I remember the adventures, the people I was with, what was going on around me, but. I don't remember the pain or hurt at all. They all have a story to tell, and a special adventure, people and memories surrounding them, and I guess that's often the way with most scars, both seen and unseen. They can leave a mark, but not necessarily the pain if we treat them properly and make sure they heal well.

It's a nice reminder that God is good all the time, that he uses all things for good, to help us grow, that he doesn't leave us where we are at, but wants us healed and restored, even though things might leave a mark, as a reminder. Those scars and marks are what makes each of us unique, and we all have them in some way or other. It's often just a matter of recognising them and valuing them for what they are, and how they have shaped who each of us is, and is becoming.