Golden Scars
She sat with her head down, looking only at the table. C shared very little of herself, speaking only when spoken to. She never made eye contact with anyone. She was very quiet and meek; you could tell life had knocked her down one too many times.
Our group met every Monday morning…a sacred space where we talked and shared our wounds, facing our pasts with the hope of redemption; strengthening and nourishing each other through encouragement. Each week C’s head lifted a little bit higher – she was listening. She reminded me of someone I knew long ago…old me.
The whole dynamics of our group changed one Monday morning when I shared about Kintsugi Art. Kintsugi is the 400-year-old technique Japanese artists use to put broken pottery pieces back together.
The idea was built on embracing the pottery’s flaws and imperfections by repairing them with gold. Each crack is unique and highlights the “scars” as part of the design, allowing the artist to create a stronger, more beautiful piece of art. We can apply this metaphor to teach ourselves how to heal more healthily. By sharing our scars, we repair our brokenness, allowing ourselves to become more strong, beautiful, and resilient.
Jesus wasn’t afraid to show His scars; as a matter of fact, Doubting Thomas came to believe only after Jesus revealed His scars to their group.
[John 20:24-29] So why should we be any different? I think it’s because many of us have accepted the lie that we would be outcasts if people knew our pasts.
Every Monday morning, we opened up our hearts and shared our wounds. The truth is – it’s not pretty; sometimes, life can be downright ugly. We laughed and cried, screamed and yelled, but mostly we loved one another, showing grace and talking through what true forgiveness looks like. We are hard on ourselves. We freely offer grace to others, but we are the hardest people to forgive. The more we shared, the more healing took place, as the artist of our lives used His golden mercy and grace to cover the cracks of our brokenness.
The following Monday, everyone sat at the table, heads held high; including C! It was a glorious sight. “C,” I exclaimed! “You have teeth!” C had the most beautiful smile! As she shared her heart with us, she picked at the wounds of her past, which created the most beautiful golden scars. God used our group as the gold to help bond her brokenness. God took C, this broken piece of pottery life labeled as garbage, and transformed her into the beautiful, resilient woman He created long ago. Scars and all!
Our annual Hearts of Hope Luncheon is a celebration of these golden scars. We share stories like C’s and how our wounds became scars with God’s golden healing strength of friendship and sisterhood.
Peace be with you.
-Julia Charleston
