The following is a post by Princy Mathew.
I bet we all have scars–marks that can be seen and maybe some that cannot be outwardly seen. I have a small scar on my forehead from a fall down some stairs and then, there are some that I can hardly talk about, let alone show. I try to keep those covered and hidden. It seems, that generally speaking, scars are a mark of imperfection, a sign of something gone wrong. Walk into a department store or even your local pharmacy, and you’ll find hundreds of products deemed to cover up those unsightly marks. How do you view your scars and imperfections–the ones that are visible to all and those that are so deeply hidden that even you, sometimes, refuse to look at them?
Recently, I heard of Kintsugi, a Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold, highlighting, even showing off, the broken parts of the object rather than disguising it. When I think back on my life, the places where I have hit rock bottom are the exact places where God did something miraculous and therefore, unexplainable. I have a long list of such instances. For the most part, I have chosen to keep those times concealed, however a friend of mine wisely advised, “Let people see that you are not perfect.” There is something empowering about having it all together, isn’t there? I didn’t even realize that I had been portraying such an image. When I started being honest about my shortcomings, I began to feel vulnerable, yes, but also free. I have had the privilege of relating to people in an open way; by being honest about myself and my scars and shortcomings, I have made new, deep, and meaningful relationships.
When I talk about my scars now, about those difficult scars that I try to hide, I see what God has done; when He mended my broken heart, He did not leave it the way it used to be before. He repaired it by lacing the broken parts with hope. He didn’t erase those scars away, but He gave me eyes to see the beauty of His providence in those circumstances and that hope, outshines the best gold.
Photo Credit: Joao Yate
by Ajay Thomas
Ajay lives in Philadelphia with his wife Shainu and their kids Hannah and Micah. He is responsible for preaching and vision as a pastor at Seven Mile Road.