Stronger in the Broken Places by Barry Hughes



I pass this yard every day on my walk. I’m always struck by the contrast that exists within this towering tree. From a distance, it is beautiful. Tall and sturdy, lush and full, this tree has withstood countless storms in the many decades that it has served the home over which it stands guard. It seems invincible and eternal.
But upon closer inspection, this tree carries some scars. It has been broken. It has been battered. It appears to have been damaged long ago by one of those Texas summer storms, scorched by lightning and splintered by the wind. Yet it endured. No, it has not endured, it has thrived.
People, as well as trees, often appear different upon closer inspection. I have found that a life that looks perfect from a distance always carries its share of scars. I have also found that a life that we so easily and harshly judge can make sense when time is taken to draw close and truly listen to that person’s story. Humans are able to endure their storms and often to thrive, but we all carry our own scars.
Ernest Hemingway wrote that, “The world breaks every one, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” Wouldn’t it be powerful to see the broken places in another as the story of how they arrived at this place, and as the source of their enduring strength, instead of always judging them for their scars? Wouldn’t it be powerful to know that is how we are seen by others? Wouldn’t it be powerful to have that kind of grace toward ourselves?
Peace.

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