Doubting Thomas

The scars I have encountered in prison are some of the most telling that I have ever seen in my life. I am not talking about the emotional and mental scars from our pasts, which go unseen, but, rather, the physical scars that are on our bodies that confirm an event whether a tragedy or a triumph.

These are marks left on the skin, a blemish, or a sign of damage. I have heard countless stories of inmates who have been stabbed, shot, disfigured, burned, etc.; and the ones whom I believe the most are the ones who have the scars to prove it. Anyone can tell a story and it is a common pass-time in prison. But sometimes it is hard to believe the events of an inmate's story without proof. For me, these physical scars are significant enough to consider and believe the words of the person that bears the scars.

But, sometimes we attempt to hide our scars because of the damage it has caused to our appearance. And similarly, we conceal our emotional and mental scars in an attempt to overshadow vulnerability. I believe that with every scar there is a testimony and sometimes we are afraid to reveal those scars because of the damage done.

We become like Thomas in a sense, who doubted Jesus' resurrection because, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my fingers into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).

Like "Doubting Thomas," we are skeptical with others because we do not see their scars. Equally, we lack conviction and certainty in our own scars, believing them to be nothing, but lingering signs of past tragedy.

It is obvious to me, that there is power in our scars and there is triumph in the testimony behind them. We should not be ashamed of the emotional scars of our past because, Why waste pain? And why waste a testimony?
In the book of John 20:26-29, Jesus eventually revealed Himself to Thomas saying, "Reach your fingers here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus knew that Thomas needed to see His scars to believe and though He did not have to reveal Himself to him, He understood the doubt that inherently exists in our human nature.

There is power in our scars (emotional, physical, mental), and by revealing them to others like Jesus, we are adding conviction to our testimony and encouraging others who may have had similar wounds. Do not be ashamed by your past. Use your scars to advance the Kingdom for they are reminders of a wound HEALED and should not be concealed.