I have a scar on my middle finger (right hand) which I received when I was about three years old. The neighbor kid came over and we were playing with a bicycle that was turned upside down.
I put my finger on the sprocket and he proceeded to crank it around with my finger caught between the chain and the sprocket. Blood everywhere!
When I look at the scar, I’m reminded of what happened and resentment starts to creep in as I remember what that dang kid did — and worse, what my mom did! Instead of tender words, holding me tight, calming me, etc., I got a verbal bashing that resounds in my memory to this day!
When I have an emotional scar, I have a choice: every time I look at it I can remember my hurt or I can remember my Healer and the healing. My finger recovered, but more importantly I worked through the emotional injury of a mother who was more concerned with my disobedience than with my need, at that moment, for compassion and comfort. I’m sure she was scared — but so was I!
This isn’t “Bash your Mom” time! We’re to honor our parents. My mom did a lot of things right. I use the example so I can ask you a question: If you have reached the scar stage (or when you do reach it), look at your scar and think of God’s grace. When the defeat, the failure, the hurt comes to mind, think,
“Here I stand, a trophy of God’s grace. He brought me through it.”
Instead of focusing on the hurt, focus on the Healer.