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225 August 12th
Trauma
Hebrews 13:5b – “…for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you,
nor will I ever forsake you.’”
Trauma, by definition, is anything that leaves a lasting negative impact. Using this broad definition, we have all been traumatized by greater and lesser degrees. Usually, a trauma survivor will do anything to avoid incurring more trauma. They are reluctant to talk about difficult events. Sometimes, they don’t want to acknowledge that anything bad happened at all. They would prefer to stuff thoughts and feelings than expose them. In fact, most people who have survived a trauma spend an exorbitant amount of energy avoiding, ignoring, and denying the trauma itself; as well as the resulting fallout from it.
One of the beautiful things about being a child of God (a Christian) is Jesus and His indwelling Holy Spirit walk with us as we process the traumatic events of our lives. He promised in Hebrews 13:5 that He would never leave us nor forsake us; and He always keeps His word. Jesus is never frivolous about making and upholding His word; His promises.
God doesn’t want us to avoid dealing with the injurious events of our past. He knows “buried trauma” makes us ill: mentally and physically. God helps us find “safe” people, whether mentors, teachers, pastors, or counselors, who will walk along side of us as we process old events, old hurts, and old wounds. If we don’t get the toxic stuff out, we become aseptic. We remain captive to the past and our old wounds won’t heal properly if not tended to appropriately. The primary way to deal with them is to talk about them, as painful as that process is. We actually let go of things when we face them, talk about them, and acknowledge the impact of them. Amazing! If we refuse to do the hard work, false and injurious life-lessons will inappropriately govern us as opposed to the truth setting us free.
God does not want us to live in bondage to past trauma. He does not want us to live or walk in darkness. Nor does He want us to live enslaved to irrational beliefs and faulty life-lessons. He desires that we walk in the light as He is in the light. When we walk in the light, we will have fellowship with Him and fellowship with one another. We will be freer and healthier.
This is God’s desire for us.
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