Overcoming TraumaSample

Naming Trauma

Trauma often originates from two types of experiences:

·A singular experience marked by high emotional distress or

·Frequent or repeated experiences marked by lower emotional distress

Some traumas come from attacks, which are aggressive actions done to us, and can include name-calling and other insults, manipulation, teasing, sexual or physical abuse, and more. Others come from absences, which are losses and unfulfilled needs, such as a parent who leaves—or one who is distant emotionally or physically—as well as from a lack of affirming or loving words, being ignored by friends or family members, being dismissed as unimportant, etc.

So, a single attack, like being sexually or physically abused, can cause a deep level of trauma. And at the same time, repeated absences like being ignored, needs going unmet, or being left out can leave trauma, too. As uniquely created individuals, of course, we all respond to attacks and absences differently. Something that devastates one individual may have little effect on another. I’ve heard many people say, “I’ve had a relatively easy life compared to others,” but one person’s pain never truly compares with another’s (Proverbs 14:10). Ignoring, dismissing, or downplaying the effects of attacks and absences on our own lives will prevent us from dealing with our hurts, healing from them, and moving forward into the best possible future.

Further, being a Christian does not mean we will escape attacks, absences, and trauma. The Bible shows us that people who walked with God faced many challenging and traumatic things. Joseph experienced betrayal (Genesis 37). Noah and his family faced the flood and the uprooting of their lives (Genesis 7). Moses was abandoned by his parents as an infant (Exodus 2). Tamar was raped by her brother (2 Samuel 13). Jesus Himself was publicly mocked, tortured, stripped naked, and killed unjustly for crimes He didn’t commit (Matthew 27).

Scripture shows us that God is not distant from us in our suffering and our traumas. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of the world’s brokenness. Instead, it assures us of the love and nearness of a God who is able to redeem our traumas for His good purposes.

Thought of the Day: No matter what the cause or root of my trauma is, God knows it, and He is able to heal and redeem it.