Scars.

According to Medline Plus, “a scar is a permanent patch of skin that grows over a wound. It forms when your body heals itself after a cut, scrape, burn, or sore.” Of course, they are referring to physical scars. The ones you get when you get hurt in a basketball game, fall and hit your head on the table—those type of scars. But I want to discuss spiritual scars. You know, the ones we get when someone hurts, rejects or abuses us. The scars that the physical eye cannot see, but they cannot hide from the spiritual eye.

It was a dark, chilly night in 1997. The eight-year-old little girl was so excited because her mom bought her this purple onesie (the ones with the feet attached) and it had stars and moons all over it. She was super excited about wearing it that night because she had a very important tea date with a few of her friends (aka her dolls, beanie babies and stuffed animals) and the onesie made her feel like a “super star.” Before her tea date her mom and then-boyfriend wanted to get some KFC chicken for dinner. Her mom’s boyfriend volunteered to go get dinner and asked the little girl if she wanted to come along for the ride. The little girl was super excited about going because her mom’s boyfriend had a Suzuki Grand Vitra and sometimes he would let the back cover down and the little girl would feel like a princess being chauffeured around town.

The two of them get in the car and head to KFC that was just a few blocks away. When they arrived at KFC they drove around the parking lot two times and then came to a stop behind the restaurant. The little girl looked at her mom’s boyfriend with a smile on her face and asked why they were driving in circles. Her life changed in a matter of seconds. The boyfriend told the little girl how pretty she was and how he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He started off with playing in her hair, then his right hand began brushing her left cheekbone and he slowly began to unzip the zipper to her favorite purple onesie. This was the first of many scars the little girl had to endure.

That little girl was me.

The scars that I incurred that night and the next year or so are ones that I wouldn’t want for anyone. You see, I lived many years in bondage to that one scar. They were scars that caused damage in other areas of my life such as relationships, trust, love, anger, self-esteem, shame and much more. But, when I accepted Christ into my life he changed my perspective about the scar and he wants to change your perspective about yours.

Today, I consider the scar my footprint. It is my “me too.” It is how I have been able to relate to so many young women that have experienced rape and abuse. It is a part of my story.

The moment I accepted my scar for what it was and allowed the Holy Spirit in me to “heal itself” is when I received freedom. No longer was the scar a strong-hold or the thing that was going to keep me from pursuing and being the woman God created me to be. No longer was the scar going to ruin friendships that I so desired most. No longer was the scar going to cause me to look in the mirror and see shame and disgust. No longer was the scar going to tell me that every man that came into my life simply wanted sex from me. No longer was this scar going to scar me.

So, what’s your scar? What has scarred you so badly that you keep holding on to and haven’t surrendered to Christ to allow him to heal? What’s that thing that if you dig a little deeper you’ll find the root is caused by a negative experience that you may have dismissed? God wants so badly for you to stop clinging on to the scar and allow Him in. Yes, it’ll hurt when He first enters because you’ve bottled it up for so long, but I promise you that once it’s over you will have joy, peace, and freedom. LET. IT. GO!