Scars: Power to Embrace and Share

On my way to the She Speaks Conference, I decided to stop and take a break.  The smell of coffee greeted me as I headed straight for the restroom only to turn the handle and find it locked.  So I waited.  And I kept waiting.  Men were going in and out of the men’s room, and I stood there quietly…waiting.
A lady in a business suit walked up and she let me know that she had a flight to catch and she did not have time to wait and she promptly went into the men’s room.  I could have rushed into the men’s room when she came out but I still waited.  I could hear the sink going and the dryer going and I expected the door to open any minute.  Yet, I still waited.  Just to make sure someone was even in there, I tried the handle again and this time I heard, “Someone is in here!”
Just as I was about to feel anxious, the door opened and I saw her.  I saw her scars.  I saw visible scarring on her face and arms.  She had suffered much, and she smiled and walked right by me.  I slowly went inside the bathroom and felt bad for feeling even the least bit impatient.
As I headed to the door to leave just a few minutes later, she was right in front of me.  I saw the evidence of pain from the burn scars on her arm and back as she reached to open the door for me.  I sat in line at the drive-through thinking about this woman.  She had been wounded, but she had also been healed.  She had survived the fire.
How many of us have experienced pain and suffering yet we keep our wounds hidden?  Yes, we have scars but they are not visible.  We were harmed, and no one knows.  Maybe we have even been healed, but we do not talk about it.
In Luke 8:43-48, we find the story of the woman with the bleeding issue.  The bleeding issue alone made her an outcast and unclean.  She had suffered for twelve years and had spent all of her money, yet her condition had not improved.  She was scarred with isolation.
On this day, she hid her pain.  She was desperate to get well.  She walked among the clean, and was right in the midst of the crowds when she reached out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.  The crowds would have parted if they had any idea that this unclean woman was walking among them.  Everything she had tried to make her better had failed.  No one had been able to help her.  But when she touched his cloak, she was immediately healed.  Jesus knew His power had left him, and he asked, “Who touched me?”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.  Luke 8:47

Jesus knew who touched Him. He knew about her suffering.  She knew that He knew.  I wonder if His eyes met hers when he asked?  She didn’t just respond, “It was me.  I touched you.”   In front of everyone – she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.  And Jesus responded to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
This woman was brave.   After living in isolation, she was courageous to blend in with the crowds knowing that she was unclean.  By sharing her healing in front of everyone, they were able to see the power of Christ.  We tend to call this unnamed woman, “the woman with the bleeding issue.”  But Jesus called her “Daughter.”
This encounter in the coffee shop made me realize I have a choice.  I can hide my scars or share them.  I can share my healing journey or just experience healing and never talk about it.  While my scars can’t be seen, they can be shared.  They can point others to my King Jesus.  They can give hope to His Daughters.

Your scars do not define you.  Whether they are visible or hidden, you are the daughter of the Most High King!  Your scars matter.  They are important, and they are a part of your story.  When you show someone your scars, it makes it easier for them to show theirs.  When you tell them about your healing journey with Jesus, you give them hope.  You point them to Christ.
You have a choice.   What will you do with your scars?

Linking up with Suzie Eller: