Scars

This month at church, several of our congregation have lead sermons on courage.  Some have talked about the courage to step out of their comfort zone and speak in public, some have discussed the courage to turn the page and move forward in your life and others have discussed the courage it takes to take a stand as a Christian.  They have had some very inspirational discussions that have lead me to think about them throughout the week.

When I think of courage, I think of scars.  Scars are badges of courage.  It might be a scar you have on your knee from learning how to ride a bike when you were young and fell and hit the pavement.  You called on your courage to get back up and try again.  Maybe a scar from a surgery where you called on your courage to overcome the pain and fought to come back through rehabilitation.  Perhaps a scar from having a child by Cesarean, just having children in this crazy world calls for courage.  The courage to give them stability in an unstable world.  Each scar on your body represents a memory or a reality in your world that gave you a physical validation of what made you who you are. 

Scars can be on the inside as well.  Perhaps you have been treated badly by a trusted person in your life and it took your courage to over come it.  Maybe you have had physical abuse or verbal abuse by a relative that have scarred you internally.  Your courage is what brought you through to the other side and made you stronger.  Sometimes it takes courage just to get up and go to work or school and face a person who torments you and bullies you.   You have earned each scar as a badge of courage, use them to inspire you to be a better, kinder, empathetic human being. 

Be  BRAVE!