"When someone you trust causes trauma, it leaves a scar."

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Win the Day (p. 53). The Crown Publishers Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

And scars are tough to get rid of.

Earlier Mark says, "When we experience physical trauma, our bodies form scar tissue. Unlike our original tissue, scar tissue develops in random patterns. The result is a loss of functionality. In my case, a loss of flexibility. I never regained my full range of motion, and I take full responsibility for that fact. I didn’t do what the physical therapist told me to do! She told me that I needed to release the scar tissue. How? By massaging it. If you don’t release the scar tissue, it becomes a weak link in the kinetic chain. Instead of tension being evenly distributed across a muscle group, scar tissue causes unhealthy tension. If that scar tissue is not released, it opens you up to reinjury."

He goes on, "What’s true of physical trauma is true of emotional, relational, and spiritual trauma. We form scar tissue around old injuries. If we don’t have the coping mechanism to deal with the trauma, we often resort to defense mechanisms that may protect us from pain but may not promote long-term healing."

He then says, "When someone you trust causes trauma, it leaves a scar. If you don’t forgive that person, the trauma builds up as bitterness. I don’t want to oversimplify how difficult forgiveness can be. There are no simple solutions or easy answers. But the way you release scar tissue, spiritually speaking, is through forgiveness. If you don’t release that scar tissue, you lose emotional range of motion—the ability to experience joy, the ability to experience intimacy. While we’re on the subject, let me flip the script. We must take a trauma-informed approach with those who have experienced racial injustice, sexual harassment, or any other wound that is easily triggered. Anything less adds insult to injury."

If you have an emotional scar will you do something about it? Will you forgive the person who caused the trauma? Will you?

Yes, yes!