3-6-22 Great Carriers
Quote: “A note to anyone who needs to hear it: we don’t “get over” or “move on” from our trauma. We are forced to make space for it. We carry it. We learn to live with it. And, sometimes, we thrive in spite of it.” – Author Unknown
Trauma was never intended to be a part of our lives.
When Adam and Eve were walking around in that beautiful garden, everything was perfect. There was no conflict, no sickness, no wars, no sin. It was just perfect. This was the way that God wanted it to be. There was never, ever, ever any plan for traumatic events to be part of the human life when God breathed life into Adam and then created Eve. Sin entered the world after the enemy taunted them to take from the one place they were given the “no” to. They ate the fruit and that’s when everything changed. Shame, guilt, lies, blame – it all started there.
It may sound weird but it should bring you some peace and comfort to know that you are not alone. Trauma or horrific life experiences are part of living in this fallen world. It’s the price we pay for living in a world of good vs. evil. If you are in the middle of a mess in your life right now or had an unfortunate event (or events) in your past, you share this commonality with Adam and Eve and millions of people before you. And it’s going to keep happening to people until the day we get to Heaven, where there is the promise of no more tears or death or evil. That’s why Christians are so confident in their faith – because they know the end is not here on Earth. The best is yet to come!
But for those of you that had the idyllic childhood or life has been pretty uneventful, do know that those with trauma can’t just simply get rid of what happened to them. Old memories can pop up at anytime and trigger deep emotions when least expected. And when they do come, a tough choice must be made to confront it or sweep it away back in the closet.
I am blogging about this because I actually had this happen to me recently. I was sitting in church listening to a song I’ve heard many times before. All of a sudden, my eyes were closed and I could picture myself sitting in a rocking chair. I was a little girl, hair of braids, rocking and singing “Jesus Loves Me”. I was in trouble, in the corner of my bedroom. Something in the words of the song must have triggered a memory and I was back to my bedroom where I’d been 35+ years ago. I’m not exactly sure yet why my mind went there, but the point is old memories can pop up at anytime and bring with it some heavy, heavy emotions.
The mind is a crazy network of memories and experiences. I’ve seen brain scans and seen all those neuro-pathways – what a complex people we are! When there is trauma, we build coping mechanisms into our minds to protect us. And we learn how to survive and thrive despite the bad. It’s truly fascinating when we hear stories of what some people have been through and how they fought to survive their circumstances. Such will power and determination and resilience!
A man named Isaiah was going through a hard time in his life and God said to him in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Did you see how God didn’t tell Isaiah that he would take away all of his problems? He said not to fear. That he will be with him. He will strengthen him. He will help him. He will uphold him with his hand. Remember, traumatic events are going to happen because we live in a fallen world. But that doesn’t mean God will not be with us to help us make a comeback.
And now a message to you survivors. You are conquerors! You are living your best life, despite the awful hand you were dealt. You have been through the battle and are living to tell the story. You’re not going down without a fight. Keep on keeping on. Keep thriving! You were meant to impact this planet for the good – not to be knocked down by the evil that is here.
Keep on thriving in spite of it. You are stronger than you think you are! Keep carrying your life experiences boldly – they are a part of your story and have brought you to where you are today. Stand with holy confidence knowing trauma was never part of God’s plan. Embrace the yuck and show others how you used it to make you stronger!
