“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15
Don’t Hide Your Scars
A few years back, I was playing basketball in our church league and I went up to block a shot. I missed the block but something happened and suddenly there was blood everywhere. I had suffered a cut in between my middle and ring fingers that would lead to 12 stitches. It was not my finest moment.
Looking back at my hand today, almost six years later, the scar is still there. It’s a reminder of that day, the pain, the emergency room, all of it.
But this is just a hand injury. Many of you reading this have tons of scars. Some caused by physical injuries, and others caused by years of verbal or mental abuse that are stuck deep down in the depths of your soul.
I had those kinds of scars too. For many years, I never talked publicly about my broken relationship with my dad. But then four years ago, I found myself talking to 100-plus people at my church about forgiveness and my story. Suddenly, I began to see something happening. People came up and told me that what I was going through was the same thing they were going through. Hearing my story helped them in their own journey to know they weren’t alone.
And by me sharing my story, I started to heal and enter a place where I became more comfortable with my scars.
So this week, I want to encourage you to share your story. Your scars aren’t something you have to hide. They can actually serve as a place for healing, both in yourself and in others. And they also reveal to others that God is in the healing business. They serve as a reminder that something indeed did happen, but that healing has taken place. They serve as a reminder to others that our scars don’t have to define us, but instead, they refine us into something better.
And ultimately, they can point us to the One who is the healer of all.
— Jason Romano, Sports Spectrum Podcast host
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
