Marvel at the Beauty of the Scars . . .

Today a classmate sent me these words of encouragement relative to an assignment about re-establishing one's direction / goals / passions in life. I love the concepts of a broken life being repaired with gold and marveling at the beauty of one's scars. The words resonated not only with the emotional healing that is the focus of our coursework, but also with the physical healing I've encountered these past 5 1/2 years in my dance with cancer. I thought of the surgical scars on my body -- the ones I never look at, the ones I never touch, the ones I make every effort to ignore.

I'm in an online colon cancer support group. I posted the pottery photo with this comment:

I have always hated the surgery scars on my body -- the big hole in my stomach from the first colorectal surgery, the 2 scars on the left side of my chest from a botched port implant and emergency removal surgeries, the 9 incision scars to place the mesh to repair the hernia created by the colorectal surgery, and the scar on my right side to implant the port I now have -- reminders of this insidious cancer that's invaded my body. So I really like this shift in perspective, the idea of filling my scars with gold and marveling at their beauty!

My posts usually sit quietly without much response, but this post generated some activity -- 52 "likes" and "loves" and several encouraging comments:

Lisa said: I'm planning on putting some tatoos on my scars. My scaring is minimal due to having robotic surgery. I'm thinking butterflies on my stomach (get it??). Maybe a flower on the port scar.

Tom said: Did you ever hear an album that sounds it was written just for you? Switchfoot's Where the Light Shines Through album has gotten me through the last year. Great album. Here's a video of the title track with lyrics. The wound is where the light shines through! 

He provided a link to this song:

 CHORUS:

'Cause your scars shine like dark stars
Yeah, your wounds are where the light shines through
So let's go there, to that place where
We sing these broken prayers where the light shines through--
The wound is where the light shines through
Yeah, the wound is where the light shines through

Wow!! Beautiful!!!!!!!!

Jennifer said: I have a love/hate relationship with my scars too.

Lori suggested: Wear your scars proudly...they are your battle scars of everything that GOD has brought you through.....praise him for battle wounds.

Jennifer said: I have a hard time with that sometimes though....

I said: I consciously don't refer to my cancer as a "battle" -- I see it as a journey . . . but I do believe that He is with me every step of the way (Psalm 32) -- and, yes, it is very hard at times!

Lori said: I also have a lot of scars.....but I have come to embrace and wear them with pride because they are for me reminders of GODS grace and mercy for all that he has done for me.

Cara said: Once I have my reversal, I'm going to do a boudoir shoot and I'm not hiding my scars. I'm going to have a friend paint a portrait based off the photo and I'm hanging that sucker in my house. That's how I'm filling my cracks with gold.

I think Cara's comment is my favorite! I wish I had Cara's confidence and tenacity.

The wound is where the light shines through, the wound is where the light finds you . . .

Marvel at the Beauty of the Scars!