When Scars Tell a Better Story

I recently read a devotional that began with the story of a man who bore deep, visible scars across his face and skull.
At fifteen, he had tried to take his own life. In the split second between pulling the trigger and the bullet hitting, he heard a voice ask, “Do you want to live?” Recognizing it as the voice of God, he said yes.

Now a husband, father, and mentor to hurting teens, he carries those scars not as disfigurements, but as daily reminders of the grace of God.

My Own Scars

I don’t carry visible scars like his. Mine are deep inside my chest—etched into my heart muscle from a massive heart attack in 2013 that required three stents and left my heart permanently damaged. They are the unseen markers of a day that could have been my last.

For a long time, I thought of those scars as weaknesses—limits on what I could do, a reminder that part of me would never be the same. But over time, and with God’s help, I began to see them differently.

Like the man in the story, my scars are not a memorial to tragedy. They are proof of God’s mercy. They remind me that I’m still here because He chose to give me more years, more opportunities to love, serve, and grow.

The Scars Jesus Kept

I can’t help but think about how Jesus chose to rise from the dead still bearing the marks of the crucifixion.
He could have left them behind in the tomb. But He didn’t.

When He appeared to His disciples, He showed them the wounds in His hands and His side. Those scars were not signs of defeat—they were the very proof that He was alive, the Christ, risen from the dead. And they filled His friends with joy.

Your Scars, God’s Story

Scars—whether visible or hidden—can feel like the parts of our story we’d rather forget. But in God’s hands, they can become the very evidence that He is real, that He saves, and that He transforms broken lives into living testimonies.

You may not have chosen your scars. But you can choose what they mean to you.
Will they be constant reminders of pain?
Or will they be signposts pointing to grace?

A Prayer for Our Scars

Lord, thank You for the grace that brought me through the moments I thought would end me. Teach me to see my scars as proof of Your faithfulness, not my failure. Let them become an open door for others to see Your goodness, and may they always point back to You.

A Gentle Invitation

Take a moment today to reflect on your own scars—physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Ask God to show you the ways He can use them, not to diminish you, but to tell a better story—His story—through you.