SCARS……

By Anita Micheal

The Wordweb Pro Dictionary defines them as “A mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue.” I’d like you to note the words, ‘mark,’ ‘healing,’ and ‘injured.’

The Same dictionary has this to be the definition of ‘mark,’ “To Establish as the highest level or best performance” amongst other definitions from which i chose to use this for the context in which I’ll be talking about.

Healing here is “the natural process by which the body repairs itself” and Injured means “to cause damage or affect negatively.”

So, let’s talk about pain, ‘an emotional distress; a fundamental feeling that people try to avoid’ according to the lexicographers. Note here that pain is classified fundamental. Key. Important.

Needful. Okay, so pain can cause injury which leave marks (scars) that eventually heal over time.

Connect the dots. Like you would find the value of ‘y’ in an equation and then substitute it for ‘y,’ we have it here that Scars are ‘a mark left by the healing of injured tissue.’ Substituting each definition, we have scars to be: Establishment as the highest level or best performance left by the natural process by which the body repairs itself of damage or negative effect.

From what we have above, in the light of this new understanding of scars, they seem to be stars on the shoulders of a uniformed man. They’re rewards, the evidence of a struggle and victory.

And they are marks that are important, like breathing is, like excreting is. Unpleasant, yes, but very needful. Mandisa puts it this way in her song,

What Scars are for, that:

These scars aren’t pretty but they’re a part of me, And will not ever fade away, These marks tell a story that I’ve been in the valley, and how you reached in with your grace and healed me.

They remind me of your faithfulness and all you’ve brought me through, They teach me that my brokenness is something you can use they show me where I’ve been and that I’m not there anymore….

I wish and really hope that you begin to appreciate your scars and maybe, someday, yearn for some more and accept them for what they are,
‘Establishment as the highest level or best performance.’