Once upon a time we fell down- hard- on concrete no less, and skinned our knee.  The wound bled and our knee was oh so sore. Soon after, a scab would form. Our mothers would admonish us not to pick the scab- otherwise, it would leave a scar. The scab would often sport various colors and take on a life all its own until… one day it fell off. The skin underneath the scab was pink and fresh- and looked a bit out of place on the landscape of a nine-year-old’s knee. Raw yet promising.

According to Merriam-Webster, a scab is a dry, rough protective crust that forms over a wound or cut during healing.  Scabs- we’ve all had them. But what do we do in the middle?  That ‘in-between’ time. The healing is not quite complete but the injury is not as fresh. We can turn our attention to the surrounding skin- the remaining parts of our lives. We can moisturize that scab with the soothing oils of compassion for ourselves and encouragement from our friends. We can put our mothers’ advice to work and avoid activities, people, and places that pick at our scabs.

I can’t help but think that God uses grief or a season of mourning as a ‘heart scab.’ No loss is too small or too great in God’s eyes to provide that dry, rough protective crust. Entering the empty nest season- He fashions the scab. Losing a loved one- He allows the scab to form and protects it from falling off too soon. Facing a health crisis- He bends down and touches that skinned knee. For every loss and season of letting go, He washes our knee oh so gently and wraps us in a warm, “I’m your Daddy” kind of hug.

The trick in living with a scab is remembering that sometimes even when you don’t pick at it and healing moves forward, you are left with a scar. Sometimes the scar is not visible in the light of day. Sometimes the scar is most visible in the ambushes of the night.  Anxiety tiptoes next to your bed and points out the indelible mark of what happened to you. Then it’s time to pull back the covers and take a long look at the scar. Offer God praise for the gift of the scab, the raw promise of healing, and gratitude for the scar that announces who carried you through.

Philippians 4:19

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”