As soon as we moved into our new house, we knew we were going to plant a willow tree in the backyard. We watched her grow and celebrated as her leaves danced with the Oklahoma wind. During the early months of COVID, we sat in the backyard a lot due to quarantine. There is something so serene about seeing something flow with grace and ease. Most of my memories of those days were seeing my kids run and play under our beautiful willow.
Then, in October, Oklahoma was hit by a severe ice storm. The trees were not ready. They still had all their leaves, so the weight of the ice bent and broke their limbs. I remember being so worried about my willow while I was at work that everyday as soon as I got home, I’d run to the backyard to check on it to make sure no limbs were broken. Her branches were sunken and bent low, her leaves touching the ground, but she was strong. As the ice began to melt, I was so relieved that all her limbs were intact.
Eventually, she stood tall again, but I noticed she wasn’t the same. Her branches were disoriented and misshapen. One branch stood tall in the middle like an elephant’s trunk, while the other branches were too weak after fighting the freeze. She was forever marked by the moment of that season.
Months have passed since that ice storm, and my willow has grown, but she still looks different. When I see her, I remember the ice storm and COVID — how it wrecked our world and how we somehow survived.
Whether physical or emotional scars from childhood trauma, a dent on the car from a wreck, or an empty chair at the dinner table due to loss, life has a way of marking us by specific moments that have changed us. These scars serve as a reminder of the pain we’ve endured. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and even feel regretful, but what if their reminder is actually a good thing? That we were bent and brought low but didn’t break. That we made it. Resilience often comes when we remember.
In Genesis 32:22-32, we read the story of Jacob wrestling with God. It resulted in Jacob being marked as a man who walked with a limp. He had been lost, in search of his identity. He had lied and cheated to get through life only to be cheated himself. He carried the hurts and scars of pain he’d endured at the hands of others, and he carried the burden of regret for the mistakes he’d made himself. But that night as he wrestled with God, he was finally given his identity. From that moment, he would be Israel, which meant prince. Jacob walked away with a limp and a new name. I’m sure when he would feel the limp or see his reflection, he would remember that moment. When others saw him, they would ask about his limp, and he would remember.
As uncomfortable as his limp probably was, it became a part of his identity that was evident to the world around him. It marked him.
Friends, what if we have scars to show them to the world? What if the brokenness we bear wasn’t meant to be lived in regret but to serve as a reminder — not of our weakness but of the strength of God? I pray that today you will see a God whose love is so amazing that He actually chooses broken things to display His grace.
Leave a Comment
God Comforts Us So We Can Comfort Others. says
Amen!!
This post also reminds me of the following scripture:
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” ~ 2 Corinthians 1:4, NLT
Thank you so much for sharing, Simi!
PS I love your name, it makes me smile 🙂
Simi John says
So good! Thank you so much !!
Ruth Mills says
“A God who’s love is so amazing He actually chooses broken things to display His grace.” My brokenness magnifies His love, mercy & grace in me & to others. Simply astounding!
Simi John says
Amen! God is so good!
Tracy says
This is beautiful and a wonderful reminder that we are all different people after COVID than we were before. We may have been bent and disfigured, but God brought us through and we can point to Him and rejoice in His goodness. Thank you for your poignant words.
Simi John says
Yes! Amen sis!
Gail says
Beautiful reminder. By God’s Grace and through His strength, if we’re strong enough to bend.
Simi John says
Yes! He makes us strong
Sue Shoemaker says
Thank you for writing this devotion. I have been fighting a couple scars for quite some time. Your insight how one might differently view their scars was very helpful. Maybe with God’s help, I will start to embrace my scars.
Simi John says
I am so glad this spoke to you! God is so good that he uses even the weakest moments that we often hide for His glory when we surrender it to Him!
Gail Noe says
Thank you for this very thought provoking and yet opening for prayer to ask the Lord how He would use those painful hard places for His glory. God bless you abundantly as you move forward in all He has for you today.
Simi John says
God bless you too friend
Diane says
I thank you. I thank God fir grace NEVER LETTING HIM GO holding tight to Him and He holds on to my heart. I have a limp too. God bless you and remember singing in your heart is Quiet praise to Our gracious Father God
Simi John says
Amen sweet friend
Irene says
Love this! You speak for a lot of us. If not all. Thank you.
Simi John says
You are so welcome. Thank you for reading
Marie says
At the end of 2020, I lost my mother-in-law, my best friend (breast cancer) and then the entire family had COVID in rapid succession. Recently, I had shoulder surgery to remove a large benign mass. I look at my first scar on my shoulder blade and think it is right that a bear a scar to remember this time. God has been here with us and I have a peace and resiliency I would have never thought possible.
Simi John says
Wow! What a powerful testimony, thanks for sharing!
Dawn Ferguson-Little says
Simi thank you for what you wrote. It made me think of past scars in my own life. That I have wanted to hide. Not because they were my fault. Because of family problems. Then someone told me to forgive. I did that. That brought me so much healing. I was able to go to person and tell them that the scars that they had put into my life from what they had done. I have forgiven them. They are gone. If they were not I wouldn’t be talking to them today. I said what happened in the past. But I will never forget it. They are not saved this person. I tell them that I love them and am praying for them. Which I do and their salvation too because they are not saved. They when one day I told them that look at me. Said you are doing that. I said yes because I love you. I do love them loads in Christ. What done is done. But I hold my head up high now because I know the scars will never hurt me again. I am heald from them. I will never forget what they did. But I can go around knowing their scars will never hurt me again. Which is lovely to be able to do. I keep praying for them. With the help of Jesus I can go and visit them and talk to them as if nothing happened. Always telling them when I leave I love them. As I know this is what Jesus would want me to do. As if I not got the help and prayer to forgive them. I not be the person I am today. Thank you again for what you shared. I keep you all incourage in my prayers. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Northern Ireland xx
Simi John says
I am so proud of you, thank you being brave enough to do that. Our scars can’t hurt as anymore so we don’t need to hide them! Amen!
Dawn Ferguson-Little says
Thank you Simi for your kind lovely reply. What you said was so true. I love what you wrote. It spoke to me. I look forward to hearing more from you incourage. May God richly bless you in this work along with all the incourage team. In my prayers all you. Love Dawn xx
Simi John says
❤️ hope you have a great week
Amy says
Amen!
Simi John says
Jenny White says
Wow! What a wonderful reminder to not let our brokenness or our scars hold us captive the reminder of what happened but instead be a joyous reminder of how God helped us and to share with others to bring hope and encouragement to them.
Simi John says
Yes! We can truly be like Paul and say “I boast in my weakness, for when I am weak, then He is strong!”
Pat Furlani says
I will be looking at my inner scars differently from now on.
Simi John says
Yes! Our God is with us in the good and the bad…therefore it is well with our soul!
Stephanie says
I’m reading this at work. And started crying. Yes, at my desk. My elderly parents moved in a year ago, and after a few months we had to move my mom to assisted living because of dementia. An incredibly difficult year full of so many blessings. But still a very overwhelming and emotional time. THANK YOU!
Beth Williams says
Stephanie,
Sweet sister prayers for all in this hard season of life. I truly understand where you are now. Both my parents had dementia. Dad’s got to the point of geriatric psych & he was hospitalized twice. He lived in assisted livings for 4 years. It isn’t trying to care for aging parents. Asking God to give you all an abundance of strength & calm to handle whatever comes your way. Each day is a new adventure. Prayers that God will guide your steps & see you through all this trial!
Blessings 🙂
Simi John says
You are the best!
Simi John says
Wow! That is so tough. I hate dementia! Stay strong sis!
M @ In Beautiful Chaos says
The whole message that our scars and weakness and brokenness are places for God to display His strength has always been very important to me. In fact, I’m so passionate about it that I have a whole ongoing series on my blog called “Misfit Heroes” about people that God has used for incredible things in spite of (and very often BECAUSE OF) their brokenness. If you’re interested, you can check it out at https://www.inbeautifulchaos.com/misfit-heroes/.
God Bless!
Beth Williams says
Simi,
God promised we would have trials down here. Each battle or trial we face leaves us with scars & reminders. Each time I think back to my dad’s geriatric psych issues I’m reminded of how God got me through that rough time & how my faith & trust muscles were grown. Now I have a great testimony to share with others. My empathy towards those dealing with aging parents is enormous. Plus I have tons of encouragement & ideas I can share with them. I can see how it was a blessing to go through that trial-not at the time. God uses trials to grow our faith & give us a great testimony.
Blessings 🙂
Simi John says
God uses what the enemy meant to break us and stop us, to actually be salt and light! Thank you for sharing
Jodi Kinasewitz says
100%! On all of your ideas and expressions. He told us we would face troubles in this world…. but He has and always will see us through and overcome. I believe He uses our scars for stories, our tests as testimonies and our messes as messages. Someone, somewhere, somehow will be blessed by our breaking openness.
Simi John says
So true! We overcome by the power of His blood and our testimonies- that is why so often the enemy tries to make us hide in shame and never speak of our pain!
Lisa says
That’s was ON-POINT. Thank you for sharing your story and your heart!
Simi John says
Thanks for reading friend ❤️❤️
Jes Thomas says
Weeping willows are my favorite too! When we built our house, it was my only request to plant one in our backyard. So glad yours is standing tall. And thanks for the reminder God displays his Grace and goodness in our brokenness.
Simi John says
They are so calming, right?
Jes Thomas says
They are calming , something about the way they wave in the wind.
Simi John says
Yesss
Jasmine says
Scars keep as reminders to make us strong and resilient. The fighting and resilient spirits keep us moving and walking with Jesus. Then we become overcomer and rewarded by His hidden Manna..
Thank you for revealing scars. Pray Healing Grace with you always..
Simi John says
Yes! I love that..His hidden manna..provision and miraculous for us and in us.
Sue says
I loved this!
Simi John says
Thanks so much