Beloved, we have a rare treat: my friend and author Dr. Michelle Bengtson graciously wrote a guest post for us. We met in a writing group and became forever friends. Her first book– Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey through Depression, is an award-winning book that has helped thousands of readers. She has written a book for anxiety, Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace of God Promises. The forerunner to Sacred Scars is a favorite, The Hem of His Garment: Reaching out to God when Pain is Overwhelming. This list of books is not complete, nor am I to do justice to what her friendship means to me. I hope you enjoy her guest post.
Hope in the Midst of Suffering
By Dr. Michelle Bengtson
If we aren’t experiencing physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual pain now, either we recently have, likely soon will, or are walking alongside someone in the trenches who wonders if they will survive. For many, this world is a treacherous place, and pain and sorrow seem daily on the horizon. There is no escaping the pain of this life until God calls us home, but there is hope in the waiting. We can glean lessons from the wilderness. There are promises we’ve been given as a lifeline when no one else can offer assurances.
Friend, I don’t know what variety of pain you’re walking through or have recently survived, but I want you to know you’re not alone and God doesn’t waste our pain. I want you to know you will get through this, of that I’m certain. How can I be so certain, you ask? Because you have survived every single difficult circumstance in your life one hundred percent of the time. Those trials may not have turned out exactly as you’d hoped, and you may have made a few mistakes along the way. We’re all flawed, and that’s okay. You may have the bumps, bruises, and scars in the form of loss, grief, shame, guilt, or regret to show for the battles you fought, but that means you survived!
Each one of your scars tells an important story and helps create the narrative of who you are. And each one is sacred. God doesn’t treat your scars lightly. Nor does he ignore their impact on your life. He doesn’t just use your scars as a tool. God shapes your scars and shapes you in the process. You are braver, stronger, more tenacious, more resilient, and more beautiful for them.
Your scars are valuable, as are the stories they tell. Your scars may not be physical scars that can be seen by the eye but may be emotional scars, relationship scars, grief-born scars, or even spiritual scars—scars that can be perceived and understood only through the wisdom and experience of a fellow sufferer. And some scars may be known only by God. Friend, I don’t know the pain you’ve endured or the scars you now carry, but I have found that, much like soldiers on the front lines of war, we can endure much more when we know we aren’t in the muck alone.
When we’re in a painful battle, we wonder, Will I make it through this? How will this change my life? and Is there purpose in my pain? Loneliness often accompanies the crucible of pain, and we long to know we aren’t alone in our suffering and that someone else understands. It’s then that reading the stories of others who have walked similar paths has the potential to most encourage our hearts. And once we’ve come through the furnace of suffering, we can share our stories with others who feel the way we once did. Sometimes our stories encourage others to stay the course. Many times, stories inform and give hard-earned wisdom to someone just a few rungs down on the ladder of their own journey. Often, they inspire us to reach beyond what we thought we were capable of. Occasionally, they redirect the course of our future. But they always serve a purpose and impact us if we’ll let them, because God never wastes our pain.
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is a hope concierge! Her passion is to share hope and encouragement with others, whether as a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, host of the award-winning podcast Your Hope Filled Perspective, or the author of several award-winning books including Hope Prevails, Breaking Anxiety’s Grip, and The Hem of His Garment. Her newest release is Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past is Not Wasted. She loves all things teal, spending time with friends and family, taking long walks, or sitting by quiet shores, and it’s a bonus when any of those are accompanied by sea salt caramel chocolate! You can find her and her hope-filled resources at DrMichelleB.com
