When we did our original landscaping many years ago, the Bradford pear trees were very popular, so we planted two in the front yard. The white blooms in the spring, the dark green leaves in the summer, and the red and orange colors in the fall made them seem to be the perfect trees for many places.

However, there are two drawbacks. One is that the spring flowers have a terrible smell. The other more serious problem is that the trees are prone to split, especially in bad weather. As our trees grew, we knew the danger existed, and one day the tree near the road split. It fell toward our red maple tree and tore the branches on one side.

This happened years ago. The maple tree survived, but it never completely recovered, as you can see in the picture. It is not as full as it would have been had it not been harmed, but it continues to have beautiful color in the fall.

When we are young and growing, we encounter numerous things that harm us. Some of these come from people we thought we could trust. Others come from circumstances we find ourselves in, or as the result of choices we make. They may take the form of actions, words, or even our own thoughts that can leave us with scars.

Like the tree, those scars may never really go away as we grow. People may not be able to see our hurts on the outside, but we all experience them. They make us who we are. God knows every arrow that has been shot at us. Psalm 139:1-18 (NLT) reminds us that He knew us before we were born and continues to watch over us all of our days.

The maple tree is still beautiful in the fall. Even with our “scars” we can reflect the beauty of God’s love and forgiveness in our lives, and allow Him to use us to bring peace and hope to those around us who may be hurting.

² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2 NIV)

¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal. 6:10 NIV)

Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. (Eph. 4:32 AMP)