I remember in 2019, standing in the middle of a storm, emotionally, spiritually, wondering if anything good could come from what I was losing.

I was at a standstill. I felt like I was battling at work, for relevance, for peace, for people to stop trying to anchor me, stop trying to make me shrink and play small ball. Because the work in front of me required a bigger vision, a bigger personality.

At the same time, I was battling at home. It was coming to a head, I was done with marriage. I had gotten to the end, having given it everything I thought I had. And then some.

And the inner dialogue? It was harsh:
“You’re a loser.”

But here’s what I know now, it wasn’t one big moment that turned things around.
Even in my brokenness, I kept showing up.
I kept working.
I gave it one more day on all fronts.
And God kept working in me.

Why Are You Still Looking in the Graveyard?

In Luke 24:1–7, the women arrive at the tomb expecting death. But instead, they’re met by two angels who ask:

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”

That question hits deep:
Why do we keep searching for life in places that have already died?

Why do we keep holding onto:

• Old labels and lies?
• The belief that we are our trauma?
• The shame of failure?
• The idea that because we fell short, we’ll never rise?

Even during the crucifixion, Jesus knew there was more.
He knew there was life after death, purpose after pain, and joy after grief.
He knew because He was anchored to the Father.

And now, so can we be.

The Power of Showing Your Scars

After Jesus rose, He didn’t come back flawless.

In John 20:19–20, it says: “He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”

He showed them His wounds, the very proof that He had suffered.

I’ve spent years talking about the wounds in my own life:
Abuse. Shame. Failure. Depression. The voices in my head that told me I was less than.

And I know you have wounds, too.

You’ve been carrying things, quietly, maybe even proudly, because you thought you had to.
You’ve been hiding scars that you think disqualify you.

But here’s the truth:

You have that wound not to shame you, but to free someone else.
You survived it, not just for you, but for those who need to see that there’s life on the other side.

Say This to Yourself:

• I am not my past.
• I am not what happened to me.
• I am not the pain I am feeling right now.
• I am not 50% of another person. I am 100% me.
• I am being made new, even if I can’t see it yet.
• I will rise, with scars, with grace, with purpose.

Flunked Out, But Not Finished

Romans 6:4 reminds us: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too may live a new life.”

I think about that verse every time I remember flunking out of college.

The whispers came fast:
“You’re a failure.”
“You’re not cut out for this.”
“You’ll never recover.”

And they came loud, because they were familiar.

But I refused to stay in that season.
I chose to see it for what it was: a chapter, not the ending.

Failure tried to define me, but grace redefined me.

That’s resurrection. That’s what Jesus offers us, not just after death, but in the middle of life.

Healing Doesn’t Mean Forgetting

There’s a lot I blew growing up. A lot that could’ve buried me.

But Isaiah 53:5 gives me hope: “He was pierced for our transgressions… and by His wounds we are healed.”

Healing doesn’t mean you forget.
Healing means the wound doesn’t control the story anymore.

I believe each of us is going through a healing process.
But to fully heal, we must believe that healing is available to us, and can work through us.

Your Pain Is a Platform

2 Corinthians 12:9 says: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

When I say that my pain is a competitive advantage, this is what I mean:

Because Jesus takes pleasure in seeing His strength perfected in our weakness, I can also begin to take pleasure in the things that once hurt me.

Not because they were good.
But because God is greater.

You Are Not What You Survived

2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” -  

That means the world doesn’t get the final word.
Not the shame.
Not the fear.
Not the labels.

You are not what you survived.
You are not your failures.
You are not too broken to be made whole.

You are a new creation.

And your scars? They don’t disqualify you.
They qualify you to walk in grace, in freedom, and in purpose.

Did you catch that?

Let This Be Your Resurrection Moment

So what needs to die in you for something greater to live?

What belief, what fear, what wound are you still hiding?

This Easter, don’t just celebrate resurrection, live it.

Let this be the season you rise.
Not because you're perfect, but because His grace is.

Rise, with scars. With story. With purpose. With Christ.

#HealingWithGod #ResurrectionPower #ScarsTellStories #FaithAndHealing #RiseWithGrace