Episode Details

Have you ever felt like you were walking around as one giant, exposed nerve? Like just being in the world is too much? In today’s devotional, we reflect on that aching, raw feeling—and how God meets us there.

Vivian Bricker shares how a lyric from Taylor Swift’s “this is me trying” perfectly captured the feeling:

“It’s hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound.”

We’ve all had those seasons—where we’d rather hide than engage, where even kindness stings, where the pain is just too close to the surface.
But God doesn’t leave us there. He meets us, gently and powerfully, in our most fragile state.

Join the Conversation:
When have you felt like an “open wound”? How did you find comfort—or where are you seeking it now? Share with us @LifeaudioNetwork or via email. You’re not alone in this journey.

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Full Transcript Below:

Feeling Like an Open Wound 

By Vivian Bricker

“‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares’” (Jeremiah 30:17). 

I have loved Taylor Swift’s music since I was eight years old. While many people have different views about her, I think most of us can agree that her music contains beautiful storytelling. When her album Folklore came out, I instantly fell in love with every song.

The song this is me trying particularly stood out to me upon first listen because of the following lyrics, “And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound.” How often have you felt like an open wound? I certainly have felt this way throughout my life, but I never was able to put it into words until I heard this song. Similar to other songs by Taylor Swift, this is me trying helped me articulate my feelings in a way that makes sense to myself as well as to others. 

When we feel like an open wound, we feel easily hurt by others. Rather than wanting to go places and see other people, we want to stay at home and hide from the world. Anything and everything can feel like salt in the wound. When we find ourselves in this place, we don’t need to allow ourselves to fall into despair. Where God is, there is always hope (Romans 15:13).  

During periods of feeling like an open wound, we need to turn to God. He can provide us with lasting healing. While He might not take all of the pain away, He can help us to recover and feel comfort. It is important to remember that God didn’t cause the pain we are going through. We live in a fallen world, and bad things can happen in this world. People can hurt us, we can fall on hard times, and we can experience illnesses. 

Despite all of these terrible things happening around us and in our own lives, we can still have hope in God. The open wound in our hearts can be filled with hope if we allow God to comfort us. The comfort He provides for us is found in the Bible and in prayer. If we want to start the process of healing, we need to take up Bible reading and prayer.

Prayer can help us connect with God on a deeper level. Telling Him our struggles, problems, and emot