Scars get a bum rap in our beauty obsessed culture. Countless remedies exist to reduce the visibility of scars-which underscores how we really feel about them. Here’s the thing, scars are not ugly. Scars are storylines. They imply past wounding and serve as evidence of healing.

I have the tiniest scar on one of my heels. It’s dainty and almost undetectable at first glance. Sometimes I run my finger over it to remind me that a difficult beginning didn’t forfeit the days and years that followed. My scar tells a story.

While I obviously don’t know this firsthand, I’m told I had a significant case of jaundice at birth. Apparently, it was bad enough to leave me in the hospital for several days after my mother was released. Doctors use the heel prick when they need a blood sample from newborns. So, my little heel was repeatedly pricked to check bilirubin levels, and my head was home to an IV drip. And so, my storyline began.

The scar on my heel memorializes the provision of healing I experienced. With a little knowledge, extra attention, and special care, my body took a positive turn. The physician trusted my levels and natural processes enough to release me. After the last labs were drawn, my body continued the process of healing.

I have another scar on my hip. The contributing circumstances for its storyline were quite different. Racing in the elementary school gym ended with my little frame skidding across the floor, a raspberry on my hip, and an upset adult. While I was old enough to remember the events that led to this scar, the experience required a little more than physical healing.

Scars are storylines. Sometimes we get stuck licking the wound and miss the opportunity to experience healing, or we expend incredible amounts of energy hiding the scar. Sometimes the physical wound heals but we cannot tell the story until the emotional wound heals, too. Maybe we are embarrassed about the part of our story that lead to the scar, or it’s too raw to share. If a scar is evidence of healing, some stories have to wait.

Here’s what I finally understand—there is enormous power in the “me, too” moments. When I can share the story of a scar {literal or metaphorically}, I open the door to vulnerability. My real struggles and victories become connection points. We tend to think we are the only ones with THAT struggle, but then we hear someone’s scar storyline and suddenly we consider the possibility of surviving the wounding. Hope emerges.

Someone once told me that my marriage scar gave them hope. Listen, walking through a divorce and custody battle left me war-torn. I honestly didn’t think I would ever heal. And even if healing came, I thought others would only see me as seriously injured for the rest of my life.

Here’s the deal–when we look at scars, we remember the wounding. When others look at the scar, they see the healing. Scars are storylines. Tell someone your story of healing. You have NO idea how much good can come out of something that hurt deeply, and healed completely.

#MomentofTruthMonday #ScarsAreStorylines #MeToo #SurviveTheWound #PowerofStories #ScarsPaidMyRansom