Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast Monday Morning Moments with

John O'Leary.

Our friend Victor Frankel wrote these words almost eight decades ago, and they still absolutely

hold true today. What is to give light must endure burning. Each summer, I have the

honor of speaking at a camp for children who have one thing in common. No, it's not

their political party or their shared ethnicity. It's not a singular sex or a similar economic

background. What galvanizes the children at Midwest Children's Burn Camp is the shared

experience of being burned. One of the most difficult aspects of a Nuren camp is the shared experience of being burned.

One of the most difficult aspects of a Nureifier is the lifelong mark embossed on a survivor's

skin. These scars serve as a visible reminder not only of the agonizing struggle endured,

but of how different we remain because of it.

The scars make us frequently feel less than, set apart, totally isolated, which is why an activity I witnessed at camp several years ago not only helped elevate the lives of those

participating campers, but carries a lesson that might elevate your life today as well. Let me explain and tell you more

about it. On the day I visited camp, watercolor paints were provided to the kids. They were then

encouraged to paint over their scars. Brush stroke by brush stroke, they painted over the parts of their

body that often they try to cover up with makeup or long sleeves or pants.

They were then encouraged to take their time and paint something beautiful over those scars, that area where they previously saw only brokenness.

When they were finished, they were then encouraged to look at the vibrant colors and rejoice in the new beauty of all that they saw.

And then, my friends, the most powerful aspect of the activity occurred.

You ready for it?

As beautiful as whatever they painted on their bodies might have been, the campers were then encouraged to recognize

the true beauty hiding just below the art.

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