Well, hello, my friends and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast Monday morning moments with John O'Leary.

I record these so that you and I can begin these days and

weeks of ours in awe and on fire with the burst of inspiration. This episode's focus is what we

seek, we find. It's a reminder that what we choose to see matters. Buckle up, here we go.

Several years ago, I was getting ready for work when my oldest son, his name is Jack,

walked into the bathroom as I was shaving.

Jack was just five at the time.

He stood next to me for a while, pretending that he too was getting rid of some of the stubble on his cheeks.

But then Little Jack stopped pretending and began gently touching the scars that cover my torso.

These are the deep red scars with ridges and lumps that traverse my stomach.

These are the scars that remind me of all I went through and would rather forget.

They're the scars that even today I avoid looking at because they're just so painful, so difficult.

But on this day, years ago, Jack traced those scars with his little finger and said,

Daddy? Yeah, bud.

He looked back at me. There was a long pause.

He continued tracing his finger along the scars.

Lin, slowly, he said, your tummy is red.

It is bumpy and it is ridgy."

Little Jack stopped his sentence but kept tracing the scars.

During that pause, I prepared to let him know that dad might be a little different, but it's okay.

I was planning on reassuring him that I was, yeah, burned as a kid, but I'm still fine today.

I'm ready to explain away what I imagined to be his fear and his anxiety.

...