He Heals the Scars

I was recently at the physiotherapist office for complaints of a sore hip. As I rolled, over she saw a mark on my hip and asked if I had a blister or a sore. I had no idea there was anything there and had no recollection of hurting myself or any sore on my leg.

When I got home I looked into a mirror to see what she was referring to. I burst out laughing! Yes, I have a scar! It’s a slightly dark colour because when I was in high school I fell on our track and field which was a black gravel. Despite the doctor washing the wound, there was still some dark ‘ash’ left in the wound when he stitched me up. Not only had the pain of the injury faded long ago, even the memory of the scar had faded over the years, and I had forgotten about the wound entirely.

Medically, as a wound heals, a scab forms. Eventually the scab will fall off, but the site may still be tender, as the new skin forms below the scar. If the scab is picked or scratched open, it will keep bleeding, and the wound will not heal. The new skin can be rubbed raw if it is not left alone and the pain of the wound will still be felt. Sometimes deep wounds take longer to heal, but they need to be left alone for time to bind the new skin and strengthen the outer layer again to protect the healing cells as they grow and form a scar. A festering sore can become infected and risks the health of the whole body, if not treated.

Wounds on our heart and spirit can be similar to our body. Sometimes it is hard to resist taking the scab off to rub raw the wound, feel the pain, and let it bleed with tears and pain. Like our bodies, our hearts can become infected with bitterness, resentment, and revenge. Who hasn’t rehearsed a scene of injury over and over in their mind? I know I have. I replay the scene with different retorts, but all that does is add fuel to my fury and hurt and allows the wound to fester instead of heal. The danger of allowing our emotional wound to fester is the resulting root of bitterness that digs down and takes root in our heart.

Jesus can heal our hearts. He promises to bind up our wounds. (Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.)

As time passes and we turn our hurts over to God, we can feel less pain. And like my high school track & field injury, even the memory of the pain will fade, if we allow God to heal the scars.