You May Have More in Common with These Hands than You Think

How will you view your scars?

Several years ago, my son (born with Apert Syndrome) commented to me about the scars on his hands and feet. He expressed self-consciousness of his hands and feet and the fact that he didn’t want people to see them. 

When he was born, his hands looked as though he was wearing skin mittens. All of the bones were fused at the fingertips except for his thumbs. His feet were affected with skin webbed between each toe, giving them an appearance of “baby doll” feet. 

There were more issues than just his hands and feet. He has a scar on his skull from ear to ear, but that’s a whole other story.

We have a plethora of doctors on a craniofacial team. They consisted of a craniofacial plastic surgeon, neurologist, anthropologist, geneticist, and a speech and language pathologist. 

After two separate surgeries about three months apart, they separated his fingers and toes using skin graphs from an area on his leg, and voila! He had all ten fingers and toes released, but not without misshape and many scars.

So when I look at my son’s misshapen, scarred fingers and toes, and the s-shaped one over his skull, this is what I see:

I see strength.

I see bravery.

I see marks from battle.

I see courage. 

I see beauty.

And yes, I am his mom, and moms see the good in their children no matter what. 

However, the astuteness fills my soul with inspiration.

I can’t help but think, this must be how God looks at us, as His children. 

Even though we are scarred, we are His children. He loves us and sees the good in all of us and wants the best for us…no matter what. He sees us with the utmost and purest love, which is all that matters, and He knows every scar that we carry.

Could this also be you who has scars? Ones that you wished you could cover-up, or even a physical appearance that you are ashamed of. Maybe you know someone who does or has a friend or relative that can relate. Or perhaps you have scars invisible to anyone else that has wounded your heart and made you feel less than worthy. Societal standards are brutal these days. 

What I want to say to them, to you, is this:

I hope you know how much you are loved. I hope you know that you are not alone. Your scars do not define you because God created you for a purpose! Whichever one you have, visible or invisible, let it remind you that with Jesus, you are an overcomer. Jesus has his own scars to prove it. You have battled with courage, strength, and bravery.

You may have scars…but so does HE.

God Bless,

Lisa

~Philippians 4:12-13