Why is Scar Tissue so Tender?

On my right pinky finger I have a bright white scar from a deep cut caused by an accident with a whittling knife over 30 years ago. That cut was glued and taped up and has long since healed. I have the thin bright white scar to prove it.

But when I bump that scar just right, a bolt of electricity shoots up my arm and sears each pain receptor in my brain. I’m left breathless as I shake the residual tingles out in my hand and remember the injury…and how it happened.

Why is scar tissue so tender?

You have scars too, don’t you?

Those areas of deep hurt. Those wounds that sliced down to unfathomable depths leaving you disorientated and confused. Wondering if you’d ever be whole again. Complete. Functional. Effective.

But God…

…reached down.

He picked up the shattered pieces of your heart–even the pieces ground to dust–and put them back together. He bound the deep slashes to your soul. And healed the gaping wounds to your psyche.

He made you whole. Complete. Stronger.

And you have the scars to prove it.

Then one gets bumped–just the right way.

Pain shoots straight to your brain. Your knees buckle. Memories wash over you, fresh and new. And you’re left stymied, disoriented, struggling to catch your breath.

Seriously! Why is scar tissue so tender?

I’ve been wrestling with this thing question a lot over the last 12 days.

Then this morning God encouraged me to look at my scars.

I didn’t want want to. I was sure I would see gaping wounds. Fresh blood. I was afraid the scars would’ve failed and this time I would bleed out.

“Trust me.”

And I looked.

You know what I found?

Bright white scars. In tact. Still healed. Still whole. Still complete.

My friend, God healed me from those deep wounds long ago. I have the scars to prove it. And though that tissue is more tender than the rest of me, it reminds me I’m not the same person I was. He made me stronger–physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically. He removed my heart of stone and gave me a tender one made of flesh. He taught me how to have healthy boundaries and how to stick to them. And He directed me to my calling and my path in that calling.

But all of this is only a by-product of something deeper. Something more important. Without it, none of the other things could happen.

When I came to Jesus broken and bleeding, a complete wreck of a woman, He drew me into Himself. He held me close to His chest where I could hear His heartbeat. He opened my heart and mind to understand His Word and introduced me to Himself. He took me from believing IN Him to believing Him.

And I fell in love.

Completely in love.

I’ve never looked back. Jesus is my everything. My all-in-all. The lover of my soul.

And today, as I sat there looking at my scars, I began to remember my story. Not the pain. The healing. The strength. The being made whole. I remember watching those ugly gashes fade to red, then pink, and finally to white. I remember who I was and who I am now. And I can see God’s hand everywhere.

Through me tears I discerned, sometimes God allows our scars to be bumped just the right way to expose our drifting thoughts and actions. To redirect our focus to Him.

The experience is like a rumble strip on the road. We start to get a little apathetic, lukewarm, bored, indifferent and begin to lose focus. Then we drift ever so slightly and our tires hit that strip, reverberating our tires, rattling our teeth, and jolting us awake.

Maybe pride and self-sufficiency are starting to infiltrate your heart. Maybe you’ve become complacent in your faith or in your calling. Maybe you’ve become distracted by all the “good things” that you’ve stopped doing His Thing. Maybe you’ve taken for gratnted the work He’s done in your life–squandering His grace.

Whatever the reason, Jesus allows a shock wave of pain to course through our brain and drive us to our knees so we will remember

• Whose we are
• We are who we are because of Who He is
• We are where we are because He brought us here
• We are here, at this time, in this culture for His reason and purpose
• We are healed by His touch–not our efforts
• Our scars are to be used for His glory–not hidden

Are your scars feeling tender?

Crawl up on your Father’s lap. Rest your head against His chest. Ask Him to tell you His story of your life. To reveal the secrets you’ve not yet known. To see the things you haven’t been able to see. To discover His fingerprints that until now have been obscured.

I promise, it’s worth it.

For me, the pain is still there but my focus is no longer on the source of the pain but on my Savior. The old scars have been bumped, while a new but linked wound has been inflicted. I know this is one more step in my overall healing. But more importantly I know

• He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it
• He will heal this hurt too
• He won’t only continue to use this fragile clay jar for His glory but He will continue to infuse it with His power.

And I KNOW He will do the same for you.

If you are in a season of healing, here are two excellent resources for you

Blessings, xoxo

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