“Embracing your scars”

The first memorable scar in my life was when I was molested at nine. It made me feel damaged, dirty, used, and shameful just to name a few. Ages 12, 13, 14, and 15 followed suite with each time digging into my wound a little deeper! 

Life was very hard to bare! I never said anything to anyone because I would have been just another disappointment! I was always the awkward one growing up and had a hard time communicating with others as I have always felt intimidated by those around me.

Drugs was introduced to me at 12 years of age, I was a run away at 13, and now not only did I feel like the world hated me as my picture was posted all over the Dallas metroplex, but God couldn’t accept me either! How could He? I knew I wasn’t doing what the bibles teaches us to do. Im running away from the law, I’m no longer a virgin, so no man would ever want me for his wife, I’m addicted to drugs. I have lost all self respect. All hope seemed lost. Everything I was raised and taught was gone, I was at a point of no return! I had listened to every lie the enemy had told me!

I tried a few times going to church, I was so full of condemnation, I built a wall and shut down. There was no love for me there, no hope for me there. I didn’t fit anywhere! That’s when all the disrespecting and rebelliousness settled in! I made it a point to do just the opposite of what everyone wanted me to do…why not, at age 15, I was an outcast anyways!

From that point in my life, each disappointment, each rebellious decision, each time I messed up, it made ugly scars on my soul….

It wasn’t until I was in my late 30’s that I realized that God loves me unconditionally… He wanted all my scars, all of my ugliness, all of my weaknesses, all of my addictions. He wanted ALL of me! He wanted a authentic relationship with ME! After much prayer and soul seeking, I’ve given him my mind, body, and soul.

By embracing my scars, I have learned to love and appreciate myself and have accepted Gods unconditional love He has for me! By this, I can love others unconditionally, looking beyond their faults and help them to embrace their scars! 

“Wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest: but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus: for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” (‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭2-8‬ ASV)

No matter what you’ve gone through, what you have done or are currently doing …Your sin, shame, mistakes, or scars is not more powerful than the blood of the Lamb, His grace and the love that God has for YOU! Not because you are perfect, not because you don’t have scars, but because His LOVE is PERFECT!