~ SCARS ~
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"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power."
Shirley MacLaine
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I’ve lived most of my life filled with
bitterness towards people, God and
myself. My mind, soul, and body were
consumed by hatred, self-pity, pain,
hopelessness, and a complete sense of
powerlessness. I focused my energy on
reviewing my scars. I counted them,
checked them, nurtured them, and
flaunted them. They were proof of all
the wrongs I’d endured. They were my
source of energy. They were my
identity. They were my badge of sorrow.
As I work my recovery, I am beginning to
see everything from a new
perspective. Gradually my head is lifted
and my eyes are turned away from my
once-beloved scars. The more I allow
myself to accept that my powerlessness
is not a prison of doom, the more I
discover that it is my doorway to faith,
surrender, and serenity.
My scars are still here. There is no
magic potion to remove them. What is
magical, however, is that I see them so
differently. I find that I have a choice
to make every day: I can cherish my
scars as proof of the pain I have
suffered, or I can be thankful for them
as evidence of things I have
survived. Scar tissue forms and creates
a stronger, thicker skin in its place. I
can either pick at it and make it bleed,
or I can welcome the lessons and
endurance it has built into my life.
ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .
I will choose to see my scars as proof of the difficulties I have survived. I will choose to appreciate them as evidence that God has brought me through suffering and has used all things to strengthen my faith in Him, my hope for tomorrow, and my serenity for today.