Scars

Hey everyone! I’ve been thinking a lot about scars lately because I just got a new one - I am actually still in the process of healing from my second and hopefully final spinal surgery (HEYO!). Scars are something most of us have and they can come from all different places like cuts, burns, and from surgery (which is where most of my scars are from) but we all have emotional scars too from things like rejection, loss, and heartbreak. Some scars are small and barely noticeable but others are big and jagged. Some scars heal really fast and others take a long time to get better but all scars come with a story and they are a part of what makes you you.

After my first spinal surgery, I was self-conscious about my new scar cause it was pretty big but then I realized that I should not be ashamed about it but proud because it shows that I went through something really hard and I came out better on the other side. I have a lot of scars because of physical weakness (from where doctors have medically intervened to help me) so it’s easy to be embarrassed by my scars but I have made the choice to not look at them as a sign of my weaknesses but to let all of my scars remind me that I'm tough as nails! Because scars ARE a sign of strength, a sign of healing, and also that you are tougher than what happened to you - you are tougher than what that bully said to you, you are tougher than that surgery, you are tough enough to get back up after you fall down, you are tougher than that heartbreak, you are tough enough to keep going despite the hurt or pains that have happened to you.

And also, can I just add that God is not surprised by a single one of my scars and before I got any of them He knew how they would happen, how much they would hurt, and how they would heal. And He is not just aware of our hurts but He helps bandage and take care of them, He comforts us in our pain, and He will keep taking care of the cut until it is just a faint scar if we let him.

So I guess my hope is that as you read this you maybe start to like your scars more too - the ones on the outside everyone can see and even those on the inside that no one can see. Your scars are beautiful signs of healing and reminders that you are tough.

Xoxo,
Riley