How Your Scars Tell God’s Story
I don’t like to wait.
Honestly, I don’t think any of us do.
My anxiety spikes at something as simple as a yellow light. You know the feeling. You’re cruising along, it’s green, everything is good… and then suddenly, at the worst possible moment, it flips to yellow.
And of course, being a responsible citizen who cares deeply about safety, I gun it!
Where are my “gun it” people at?
But it’s not just traffic. Waiting shows up everywhere.
Waiting in line.
Waiting at urgent care which should really be called “when we get around to you care.”
We’ve become so impatient that even a few extra seconds feels unbearable.
But here’s the truth:
Some waiting isn’t just inconvenient. It’s painful.
The Waiting That Breaks You
There are some things that are incredibly hard to wait on:
Unanswered prayers
Healing that hasn’t come
A relationship that never showed up or fell apart
A breakthrough that keeps getting delayed
A dream that won’t gain traction
Freedom from something you thought you already defeated
Maybe your life just feels chaotic, overwhelming, and out of control, and you’re begging God for peace.
At some point, the question hits all of us:
How long, God?
A Different Way to See the Pain
What if your scars could tell a story?
Not just a story of pain
but a story of God’s faithfulness.
My scars can tell a story. A story of God’s faithfulness.
That doesn’t mean the pain wasn’t real. It means God wasn’t absent in it.
Don’t Be Surprised by the Fire
In 1 Peter 4, Peter writes:
Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through.
But let’s be honest. We are surprised.
We think, “Why is this happening to me?”
Peter says instead of being shocked, we should shift our perspective.
Be very glad.
That sounds crazy at first.
Peter isn’t saying celebrate the pain.
He’s saying:
Celebrate the God who is with you in the pain.
Delight in His grace, even in the middle of your struggle.
The Danger of Doubt While You Wait
Think about Joshua.
God promised something incredible. Joshua saw it. He believed it.
But the people doubted.
And because of that doubt, they never stepped into the promise.
Joshua believed, but he still had to wait.
Forty years.
Some of us struggle to wait four hours.
When doubt takes root, it grows.
You think it.
You speak it.
You act on it.
And eventually, you walk away from what God promised.
You can’t let doubt take root if you want to see God’s promises fulfilled.
Your Scars Tell a Story
We all carry scars.
Some are visible. Most are not.
The scar from when someone walked out on you
The scar from a loss
The scar from disappointment
But here’s the shift:
Your scars are not just reminders of pain. They are evidence of God’s faithfulness.
You can say:
This is where I was hurt, but look what God did.
This is where I was broken, but look how God restored me.
This is where I lost something, but look what God gave me.
Scars don’t just tell stories of suffering.
They tell stories of redemption.
Learning to Hear God’s Voice
One of the biggest questions in seasons of waiting is this:
How do I know what God is saying?
Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice.”
But how do you actually recognize His voice?
I live with three women. Only one is my wife. I should explain! The other two are my mother-in-law and Aunt Mary.
And here’s what’s interesting.
I can tell who just walked into the house without even seeing them.
If I hear the door open and bags rustling everywhere, I know that’s Aunt Mary. She has a shopping anointing. And somehow, most of those bags are for other people because she is incredibly generous.
If I hear the door open quietly and soft footsteps moving through the house, that’s either the Holy Spirit or my mother-in-law. I can’t tell the difference!
And if the door swings open, the whole house shakes and I hear Earth, Wind, and Fire blasting from an iPhone, I know that’s my wife Laura. She announces her presence!
I don’t need them to say a word.
I know them by their presence.
Why?
Because I’ve spent years with them.
And it’s the same with God.
If you want to recognize His voice, you have to spend time with Him.
Not just occasionally. Consistently.
To the point where you don’t just hear Him.
You recognize Him by His Presence.
When Nothing Changes But Everything Does
In Acts 12, Peter is in prison.
Chained. Guarded. Stuck.
And suddenly, God shows up.
But at first, nothing changes externally.
He’s still in prison. Still chained.
But something changes internally.
God’s presence fills the space.
Peace shows up in chaos.
Light shows up in darkness.
Hope shows up when everything feels lost.
Step by Step Freedom
Peter’s freedom didn’t happen all at once.
It happened step by step.
Get up.
Take a step.
Pass one gate.
Then another.
Freedom often comes the same way for us.
You take a step.
You stand on God’s promises.
You wait.
Then you take another step.
You keep going until one day you look back and realize:
Your scars can tell a story of God’s faithfulness.
So What Do You Do While You Wait?
Don’t be surprised by the struggle
Don’t let doubt take root
Don’t compare your story to someone else’s
Learn to recognize God’s voice
Take the next step even if it’s small
And then one day…
Your scars will tell the story of God’s faithfulness.
BRAD FARNSWORTH 