God’s love is living in our hearts. His spirit completely embodies who we are. Romans 5:5 reminds us of how his “love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”
The National Center for PTSD reminds us that after a traumatic event for some “the world feels unsafe” which can make it hard to get out of bed at points; you can feel “on edge” and lose interest in the things that once brought you joy and “for some people, PTSD symptoms may start later.” Experiencing trauma of any kind can make it difficult to see where God’s love has totally embraced you. Though He remains faithful to us and reassures us that “before I formed you in your mother’s womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5) we can still find it difficult to believe that He is there.
Sometimes we can also make plans in life, but subconsciously talk ourselves out of benefiting or reaping the reward for our success. It’s almost like we are built with a kill switch. Life is going along great, we are nearing our goals, but we cannot accept it. We change the path or divert our energy away from accomplishing our goal. Living in this kind world can be traumatizing. Your spirit suffers, your heartbreaks, and your home can suffer. Sometimes this can be frustrating, discouraging, and almost debilitating.
Moving through post-trauma can require energy and discipline unlike any other. Sometimes we do need to withdraw for a time to spend more time focused on ourselves and our loved ones while we heal. Often when life changes unexpectedly our traumas can be further triggered or even severely impacted. We have a few options, flee, fight, or quietly sit down.
In our family, God sat us down right in front of an EMDR therapist where we paid “attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound while [we] call[ed] to mind the upsetting memory until shifts occur[ed] in the way that [we] experience[d] that memory and more information from the past [was] processed.” Though each of us experienced EMDR in a different way, we all saw great benefits in working through and processing our traumas and learning more about what each of us had experienced. We experienced change physically and emotionally and are now better equipped to manage our emotions in stressful situations or when there is an unexpected change in our environment.
EMDR, is not a one size fits all type of therapy. You will want to work with a trained counselor or specialist to create a program unique to you. You can learn more about the different types of treatment here. You and your loved ones will be glad that you did.
Even after months of therapy, there may still be moments when you feel lost, alone, or abandoned, but as you put into practice the methods that you learn in therapy and incorporate prayer into your daily life,God's love will overwhelmingly encompass you.
You will find yourself following cars at a distance, traffic is not a frustration, but a welcome place to pray, and life no longer feels rushed. Peace and joy no longer feel like long lost cousins, but become a part of who you are. You will greet the day more often with a smile and the knowledge that truly today and everyday is going to be a good day. You will find yourself more frequently breathing through or not even being bothered by things that would have once caused you stress. You will see life with more clarity. You will make and reach the goals that you have planned. You will build the life you have dreamed about.
A glorious life may not look like we anticipate though. You must be open to giving God the glory and space that He needs to work in and through you and your trauma. God is all-knowing, magnanimous and magnificent. Our heart, our dream, our desires pale in comparison to His. This is why He calls us to dance with Him.
God always shows up and meets or exceeds our expectations even if it does not always feel like it. When we recognize that our dreams pale in comparison to God’s dream for us, it stirs our soul. He cherishes us and His deepest desire for us to live a glorious life with Him both on earth and in our eternal home which helps us to turn our trauma over to Him again and again.
Learning to dance with Jesus helps us to fall into step with the natural rhythm of life and heed His call each day to grow stronger in our relationship with Him by opening up space in our lives for Him to continually walk in..
There are certain things in our life that can truly only happen when God is ready. He knows the people that He wants you to influence. He knows the people He wants you to be influenced by. He knows where He needs you. You have within you everything that you need for the work that you are doing.
When God brings you to your knees He does not want you there only when you need Him, but often.
Knee prayer is thoughtful, grounded and unwavering. Much like God.
In addition to bending your knees, walking with God is refreshing. It’s exhilarating, peaceful, and beautiful. God’s love and mercy is in constant overflow. When you look around at the pain in our world you often find people who ask “How can I help?” “What can I do to make it better?” “Is there another way?” “What if we tried…”
When people stop to give their time for the benefit of another… that’s Jesus! When people stop to help others… that’s Jesus!
Jesus is not mystical or mythical, He is not a character in the Bible; instead, He lives in everyone of us whether we know Him or not. His life shines through each of us. It is echoed in every beat of our heart and the rhythm of our soul. It is who we are when we give of ourselves to another.
Opening up to God can be difficult though especially when we have been through or felt much trauma. I mean He has so much to do He does not need to be burdened with me and my problems, worries, concerns or if He wanted that for my life – wouldn’t He have already made it happen?
Insert rationale, reason here as to why God would not want to help you and soon you will have rationalized your way right out of having an honest conversation with Him. Plus, fill your time with all sorts of other tasks, television, going out, work, being a mom/dad/husband/wife. There’s just so much to do and not enough time to even talk to God. By the time I get to the end of my day I am just too tired.
The wonderful news is that God is never too tired. He is our “All in All” and is ready to talk, listen, or just be all the time. When you wake up in the middle of the night, pray. When you get into your car to go to work, pray. When you are headed into a meeting, pray. When you are at the stoplight, pray. Heading to get the kids, pray. When you are answering the phone, pray. You probably get the idea - get into the routine of praying in all things. And, soon you will see that when you lean into Him the best is yet to be.
Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us that the best is yet to be. Post- traumatic stress can cause us to feel unsafe and on edge, but when we offer it to our Lord we can find a peace and joy that knows no bounds. Lord, thank you for totally embracing us with your love and helping us to have a beautiful day despite the stress. Thank you for all the gifts that you have given to us. We are forever yours. Amen.
Thank you so much for joining us in prayer. Ya’ll have a beautiful day!
All My Love,
Jen
For more information about Get Strong with Jen! click here.
To view Lean Into PTSD - Day 1 of Prayer click here.
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