It seems a good idea to write a note here early rather than later today. I wonder if it will make any difference in it being easily understood. Some of the blogs that I read are just flat out more eloquent than me. Some of these blogs are almost poetic in their words. I fear mine is rather plain in comparison. My writing tends to be off the top of my head which is not the best idea. No doubt the posts here suffer for lack of polishing. As stated before, the words here are my own responsibility. If they happen to occasionally be good words then they are mine. If they should be not so clever or insightful words then they are still mine alone.

We discussed yesterday the topic of scars both physically and emotionally. Today a few of us guys stood around talking about various scars we bear. The motivation came from conversing about motorcycles which led us to admit to the places on our body that have a scar or two. It does hurt a lot at the time of the injury. Sometimes it may be a pain that is short lived. There are times we bear scars where the pain seemed determined to never yield. Odds are we remember most if not every detail of the painful events that caused the marks. The pain may ease up or go away but the scar remains.

Now if only that were true in the area of emotional scars. Here we usually not only are very aware of the scarring but the pain remains still. We can suffer emotionally as children in differing ways yet still feel the pain when we are adults. It is possible to even have "flashbacks" just as a veteran of war might have. There is a word or phrase or situation that takes us right back to the time we were first injured. We live the nightmare all over again. Emotional scarring may not go away with time. To be honest, those injuries can not only fester but spread to other areas of our life. It may not even be that someone else hurt us. We are capable of self inflicted wounds just as damaging as any other. When all of these issues start adding up then it becomes increasingly difficult to live a healthy life.

I am sure there is such damage even in me caused by others. However, I am also aware that there is at the least an equal amount of self inflicted wounding. This isn't said to whine about life but to point out how we need to take honest inventory of why we are the way we are. Do we make choices from anxiety rather than confident faith? Do we see others in terms of the past events or from an eternal measure of God's grace? Do we respond emotionally from a healthy set of coping skills or from a damaged ego? Do we live secure in the love of God or do we look for alternative ways for life to count? This list can go on and on but perhaps you get the point.

Paul said many things about love in 1 Corinthians 13. He never even hinted that real love would be simple or easy. It's much more than feeling fuzzy over another person. Love is hard work. It demands we face the injuries of our soul in order to overcome. It says our values will only survive when they are eternal. Love will challenge our current approach to life if that approach cannot hold up to divine scrutiny. But Paul does say with conviction that love never fails. It doesn't even come close to failing. Yes, it can be painful as God cuts away the emotional scar tissue but its reward outweighs the risk. Healing is not just for those with weird haircuts who prance about on religious television. Real healing begins and ends with the God who loves you warts, scars, and all.

Bro. Trey