Healing

"You heal well." At least that's what my dermatologist said as she studied her previous handiwork and scanned for other unfit moles in need of removal.

Her comment struck me as unbelievable.

I look at my skin and see scars. Those that are brighter than others make me self-conscious, knowing that everyone can see such obvious evidence of imperfection.

Take for instance the circular indention on my back where a mole has been removed. Or the pink stripe on my right forearm, revealing a burn from the oven door last summer. Neither hurts anymore or is as red as it once was, but the lingering scars, not the interim healing, is what I focus on.

But after hearing my doctor's comment, I realized there's two ways to look at it: the hurt or the healing. Yet focusing on one to the exclusion of the other doesn't tell the whole story.

The same holds true in our lives.

If we focus only on how great everything is without sharing what we've gone through, it's hard to seem believable or for people to relate to us. But by sharing the painful parts of our stories along with the healing that's taken place, there's common ground because we've all endured some sort of pain.

And more than likely, that pain has changed us. Just look at your changed scars for the proof. Or even better, look at His scarred hands and know that the pain is not for nothing.

I heard a song this weekend by Natalie Grant that sums it up nicely:

"Perfect People"

Never let Him see you when you're breaking
And never let Him see you when you fall
That's how we live
And how we try

Tell the world you've got it all together
And never let them see what's underneath
We cover it up with a crooked smile
But it only lasts for a little while

There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God, yeah

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are and where you've been
And you never have to go there again, no

There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God

Who lived and died to give new life
To heal our imperfections
So look up and see love
And let grace be enough, oh

There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God

By a perfect God, yeah
By a perfect God, yeah
By a perfect God
By a perfect God

Be changed by a perfect God
Be changed