"Less Like Scars" - Sara Groves

Did you ever notice how much difference the right perspective can make?  Well, if you've never thought about it, then let me say this: sometimes, taking the time to see things the way God sees them can make all the difference.  This is message behind the Sara Groves song "Less Like Scars."

Now, Sara Groves tends to have that eclectic folk sound to her music, but, on this album, she pumps just enough juice into "Less Like Scars" to give the album "All Right Here" a great start, and to put the necessary energy behind the message, which is all about taking the things that life throws at us and seeing them as opportunities, not setbacks.

Now, she deceives us a little bit with a simple acoustic intro, and the lyrics "it's been a hard year."  You don't get the sense that there's a big shot of optimism coming your way, until it does, and Sara begins to help us to understand how things are when we, in terms of perspective, choose to step out of the darkness and look at things in the light of day.  "Less like tearing, more like building," she says.  That's quite a difference, isn't it?  And so, the song serves as a reminder that we must consistently renew our minds to the fact that we have to see things the way God sees them.  This transforms the seemingly unbearable things of life into opportunities to grow both more like God and closer to Him.

When we get to the chorus, the gentle distortion of the electric guitar perfectly emphasizes and underscores the message, that God is faithful and able to see us through anything, which brings us to the key line: "In your hands, the pain and the hurt feel less like scars and more like character."  Sara's soft but insightful voice helps to bring the point straight to the heart of the listener; it's not shot through like an arrow, but rather gently offered, leaving the listener comforted.

In the bridge, we start to have a little fun: Sara starts to testify about her own struggles with perspective.  She does this by using one of my favorite tools: singing the story.  I love it!  And as she brings us back around, and ultimately home, the listener isn't left feeling overwhelmed or completely catapulted, but gently lifted up and over, sitting on the sunny side of the clouds rather than the dark side.  We're left refreshed, even by the build at the end of the final chorus: it's not too much - it just reassures us that, yeah, we are a lot better off than we thought.  It kinda makes you wanna say, "Thank you, Sara Groves, for that gentle reminder."

You can listen to "Less Like Scars" on the YouTube video below:





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