Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:24-29

This passage is infamous for revealing Thomas’ turn from doubt to belief.

However, there’s another implication that’s just as significant.

Hidden within this narrative is a profound nugget of truth, that if comprehended, could change the way we think about suffering.

The scene is of a post-crucified, risen Jesus who has returned in his glorified body but it contains something peculiar:

Scars.

This is a mind-blowing notion to entertain in our imaginations.

The victorious Messiah, Jesus, came back with a scar!

What?

Huh?

So?

Jesus was an opened wound on the cross.

He then died and was buried in a tomb.

Three days later, the tomb couldn’t contain him.

He rose again.

Jesus was a healed scar upon his return.

We all have scars, seen and unseen.

Often, we’re ashamed of them and feel disfigured because of them.

But here’s the profound truth:

There’s a big difference between a wound and a scar.

Wounds need healing.

Scars reveal healing.

There was nothing wrong with Jesus’ resurrected body.

Yet he left the scar.

I believe Jesus intentionally left the mark (scar) for our benefit.

His scar was a storybook of his pain…and his healing.

The same is true of us.

Our scars aren’t tales of tragedy; they are tales of triumph.

Because something has been healed.

So don’t waste your scars.

Embrace them.

And when you come across someone who has the wound you once had, show them your scar, and tell your story.

That might be just the thing they need in their story of healing.

My wife almost bought me a t-shirt that said, “Mess with me and you mess with the whole trailer park.” I wish she would have. I hold fond memories of those trailer tribes.

In the trailer parks I lived in, traditional families were rare. Single mothers like mine worked two or three jobs and this left kids like me unsupervised and alone. However, the families that did exist often kept watch over the rest of us and what few men there were became patriarchs of the trailer park. If there were any problems, the men came out from under the hoods of their trucks to make sure peace was kept in our little slice of America. But they couldn’t stop our biggest threat to tranquility: tornadoes.

Twisters gravitate to trailers like preteen girls to Justin Beiber. Most parks I lived in as a child had a communal shelter where everyone gathered when a funnel cloud formed. Those subversive cellars became a redneck haven- packed with people, toolboxes, shotguns, dogs, cigarettes, and a single radio to keep tabs on the storm.

During tornado season, we’d make regular trips back and forth to the shelter. In the midst of it all, a common bond was created among the trailer tribe. The kind that happens when a group of people go through a shared ordeal together. I loved it. Ironically, I felt safer underground in the center of the storms than I did above ground on sunny days. Not only that, my craving to belong was satisfied. If only for a little while.

It’s fascinating how all people, in all times, and all cultures, form societies. We do this partly for protection, but mostly, I think, we do it to be connected with one another. It’s a deep-seeded need we all carry.

In his book, Eternal Echoes, Irish Philosopher John O’Donohue writes, “Everyone longs for intimacy and dreams of a nest of belonging in which one is embraced, seen and loved. Something within each of us cries out for belonging. We can have all the world has to offer in terms of status, achievement and possession, yet without a true sense of belonging, our lives feel empty and pointless. Like the trees that puts roots deep into the clay, each of us needs the anchor of belonging in order to bend with the storms and continue toward the light.”

Follow the longing to belong far enough and you will arrive at its source.

This is one of the reasons I believe in God.

Would anyone watch a film or read the book about the story you’re living right now? Not what you did in the past. Not what you hope to do someday (I hate that word). I’m talking right here, right now. Is there something compelling that would cause others to lean in and wonder, “what’s going to happen next?”

Let’s face it, no one cares about a story of a guy reclining in a chair eating Cheetos day in and day out. (Unless the chair has magical flying powers in which to defeat alien invaders and save planet Earth from destruction). We want to experience tales that move us. With a hero to root for and a clear goal for them to shoot for.

Will there be obstacles along the way? Absolutely. But that’s par for the course. No struggle, no story. But you must get up and go. You can’t wait for someone to do it for you.

So what’s your story right now? What’s the wall you need to break through? What’s the difference you need to make?

Perhaps it’s an endeavor you need to begin. Maybe it’s a relationship that needs to be repaired. It could be a project you need to finish.  Whatever it is, have the courage and grit to take a step forward. Just one step. You can do this!

After all, that’s what hero’s do.

Whenever you decide to do anything of significance, you are going to create change. There’s a something, somewhere in this world, in your community, in the marketplace, in your life, that needs to be made right, made better, or made new.  Your enthusiasm and passion for your endeavor is contagious and many people may pat you on the back and be excited about it until…wait for it, wait for it…you ask them to change. Suddenly, the brakes are slammed and all that excitement comes to a screeching halt and the air bag of your life deploys.

As you wipe the air bag off your face, a sobering realization hits you: people love to cheer for change; few want experience it.  Welcome to real life, my friend.

You see, we reside in a culture that shouts, “chase your dreams” to our face yet whispers, “don’t cause a scene” in our ear.  Yet, chasing a dream involves creating change which always causes a scene.

So what do we do when you encounter this resistance?

If you’re as stubborn as I am, you will spend your energy and enthusiasm trying to get them to change.  Often, this is like teaching grown-ups to ride a bike yet they refuse to push the pedals and go. You may even go so far as to try to push the pedals for them, but that’s not real change; it’s just wasted effort, and it looks ridiculous.

In frustration and sheer exhaustion, you could throw in the towel, believing it’s not worth it. But before you do that, let me encourage you to try another tactic.

What if you focused on the ones who are willing to change? They may be few, but perhaps they’re all you need to get rolling.

Let’s say your band has a unique sound and you dream of inspiring people around the world through your music. There’s nothing wrong with that. But let’s back the truck up a bit. How do you get there?

You could spin your wheels trying to connect with the passive thousands or you could focus on the committed hundred who are totally into your sound and grow from there. That’s called your base. It’s no coincidence that every movement has one. They are the early adopters, the believers, and the agents for change.  There’s something in your story that resonates with theirs.

They are the key to advancing that dream. And to really create change, you must engage them.

There is nothing like the rush of a good idea. When you hold this nugget of inspiration in your hand, so full of potential and life, it’s as if you’re holding a winning lottery ticket.

Those who live in the realm of ideas know how beautiful and rare this is.  Mostly because we’ve had so many ideas fall flat. And when a good one comes along, we great take pains to nurture it to life.

So how do you know you have a good idea?

While there’s no formula, I do believe all ideas contain these five basic elements in its anatomy:

Irony - This may seem odd, but every good idea should be ironic when contrasted with the current state of things.  It should have a sense of turning something on it’s head in an unexpected way. It’s what snags the attention of others and hooks their interest. Locally, there’s a car dealership that wants to sell cars. Not unusual.  But their promotion is to plant a tree every time they do sell a car, which is unexpected because vehicles are known more for what they do to the environment than what they do for it. That’s a bit of irony. (I love this piece on irony from The Oatmeal)

Simple - You must be able to explain it clearly and succinctly. If not, it’s too complicated and can’t travel into the imaginations of others.  As Einsten is quoted as saying, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”

The Click -  This is the, “A-ha!” moment when the gist of your idea connects with someone other than yourself. Many of my ideas were amazing until I tried to communicate them to someone else. Then I realized how off they really were. But the ideas that required minimal convincing before another person could picture it, were the ones that have blossomed most.

Solves a Problem -  Every single idea must solve a problem, or else why bother? There’s a need out there somewhere and your idea is the solution.

Pushback – If your idea goes in a different direction than conventional wisdom, it means it’s going to change something. When you change things, some people won’t like it. Even more, some will push back. I would add that if you don’t have any pushback after making your idea public, you likely don’t have a very strong idea.

Where do good ideas come from?

When I try to manufacture ideas, such as standing a whiteboard, looking at a piece of paper, or staring at a computer screen, the ideas I have are, well, ordinary at best. Yet, there’s still a purpose for doing these activities because it’s where the work begins.

However, it seems the best ideas I’ve ever conceived, or heard of, have come from one of two places. This is where the magic happens:

1) Out of the sky – It never fails. When I do normal things like taking a shower, playing catch, driving my car, getting a manicure (oh, wait), these are the times when an idea strikes me like a lightening bolt.  This is why I always keep something on me to record it.  Pen or paper, phone, iPad, laptop. If you want to catch lightening in a bottle, you’ve got to have a bottle nearby.

2) Piggybacking - The best reason I can think of to share your idea with someone else is because of what it could lead to.  You and a friend are discussing some idea when BAM!, you are inspired by a fresh idea.  You realize the original idea was just the foundation for this new and better idea.  This could be the wall you needed to breakthrough, or it perhaps an entirely different idea, or the merging of several ideas. Regardless, you needed to flesh it out before you could find it out.

Think back to your best ideas. When have they struck you? Do they contain these basic elements? I hope these tips help you in generating your ideas.

God knows the world needs them.