bandaidI was interviewing someone for a story once.  It was a miserably hot day and we were in shorts as we sat outside to talk.

That’s when the guy I was interviewing noticed the rather large scar on my knee.

I said something about it and how I usually kept it covered up.  He told me not to be ashamed of that scar but to know that it was “an outward sign of inner healing.”

I have multiple scars from multiple surgeries.  However, when I look at them, my mind always drifts back to that quote:  “Outward signs of inner healing.”

Many of us probably have scars of our own and those scars come with stories.  Some of them probably began with the phrase, “Hey, watch this…”  But no matter how we received them, those scars are “outward signs of inner healing.”

But, honestly, those scars we are talking about are generally associated with physical healing.  What about the times we’ve been hurt in heart, mind or spirit? What about those scars?

I’ve listened to lots of stories in my life — and you probably have too.  In many of those stories, there are phrases that point to situations, people, actions, words or relationships that have somehow left that individual “scarred” mentally, emotionally or spiritually. I’ve said that too about situations I’ve experienced.

But I wonder sometimes whether we are possibly confusing scars and wounds.  A scar is an outward sign of inner healing.  A wound, however, is a visible reminder that healing is needed and is still happening.

Maybe, just maybe, when we say “scar,” we really mean “wound.”  Make sense?

Saying we have a scar implies that we have healed and that we have walked through the process.  Saying that we are wounded implies that the healing is still going on and that the situation is still tough and raw.

In fact, if we could write a formula for this process, maybe it would look something like this:  A wound + time and effort to heal = a scar.

Think about the times you’ve been physically wounded — maybe, a cut on the finger?  It hurts to touch that wound. It hurts to brush it against something.  Every action that was similar to what wounded us in the first place brings a painful reminder of being wounded.  The way that pain goes away (most of the time) involves time and healing efforts.

Maybe the great temptation is try to jump too quickly from wound to scar without going through the process that will heal the wound and turn it into a scar.

In fact, jumping too quickly to a “scar” when we have been wounded — mentally, emotionally and spiritually — is attempting to put a Band-Aid over the wound.  And Band-Aids are always temporary measures.

Maybe that’s the challenge for me, for you, for us, today.  What do we need to do to address the mental, emotional and spiritual wounds that we have experienced so that the scars can develop?  How do we put in the time and effort that lead to healing? (Sounds like a future life moment.)

A scar = a wound + time and effort to heal.

ReigniteMyStory is based on fact that every story needs a reset, a renewal and redemption.  For more life lessons, visit www.reignitemystory.com.