I have realized that time doesn’t heal all wounds.
There are things in life that will always hurt and wounds that will always be tender.
I am releasing the idea that I must get over things to find happiness—that isn’t always true.
I can be happy and still have some things in my life that hurt.
My scars (emotional, physical and spiritual) remind me of where I’ve been and what I’ve been through.
Recently, at my oncologist’s office, with concern in my voice, I asked him about pains I have had. He said you will probably always feel that pain at times. That area has suffered trauma. It has been scarred. It has memory. The disease isn’t there but the trauma is remembered. The scar is there. But you are free from the disease. Wow!
With time, I have come to understand that healing doesn’t mean erasing. Moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting. Some wounds do not disappear; they soften, they shift, but they remain a part of me. And that’s okay. I can live with that. Matter of fact, I can grow from that. And you can too.
I no longer wait for the day when every scar fades or every ache disappears to walk in joy.
Happiness and hurt can coexist—one does not cancel out the other. I can laugh while carrying the weight of what once broke me. I can love deeply, even with a heart that has known pain. I can rest at night and be at peace even though I’ve had tear stained nights.
Life is not about “getting over” everything; it is about learning to hold both sorrow and joy with grace, allowing them to shape me without defining me. It is about accepting where we’ve been and growing from that. It’s about realizing how far we have come and how far we are going.
Jesus showed his scars to his disciples as proof that he was alive after the resurrection. He said, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I, myself!” (Luke 24:39).
Jesus’ scars were proof that he was the risen One.
Jesus’ scars were visible and touchable after the resurrection.
Jesus’ scars were a way to confirm to his disciples that he was the same person, risen and transformed.
Jesus’ scars were a way to encourage others that they too can endure hardship.
Jesus’ scars are a reminder that God can bring people through difficult times.
Be proud, you have survived days you thought you couldn’t. Your scars, your pain can be a living testament of what God can do!
You survived! You were resurrected!!