I’ve noticed that with artist sketches or comics that the artist rarely includes blemishes on the people in their sketches. Everyone has perfectly toned skin, straight teeth, nice hair, and only bad guys, the villains, have scars. But only on occasion.
Why no scars for the good guys? Why no blemishes? Wouldn’t that be more indicative of real life? Reality says that everyday people struggle with our blemishes, everything ranging from acne to the scars of a serious car accident.
We all have our scars. They may not be visible. 
They may not even be physical. But we all have them. We see scars and associate shame and disfigurement with them.
“They make me look ugly.”
“I was the victim. I can’t believe they did this to me!”
“If only I could hide them so people won’t see my scars…”
“I can’t let people know what was done to me (emotionally, physically, even spiritually).”
We want to suppress and bury our scars with hopes that people will look past our past. It might have been completely out of our control how we got these scars. On the other hand it might have been entirely our fault: a lapse in judgment, youthful ignorance, a rebellious time, some sin that we kept going back to over and over again.
People of the Second Chance is a ministry that was started by Jud Wilhite and Mike Foster, formerly of Deadly Viper Character Assassins (R.I.P. Deadly Viper). People of the Second Chance is all about radical grace, scandalous forgiveness, and second chances. They’re about celebrating your scars, not for their source or causes but for the changes that they can inspire in us.
No matter what you’ve been through, don’t allow your past hurts, failures, and scars keep you from allowing God to work through your back story. Let great ministries like People of the Second Chance help you tell your story and celebrate what God has created through your past scars and failures.
