Trauma - Pt 4

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:20-22 ESV).

There are those times when I am chided for using the promise of good (cf. Romans 8:28) so often. I know it does not bring immediate relief from the pain and struggle in the face of trauma; however, it does not ring false either. It is not merely a general promise that sometime, somehow God will do something good to balance the bad. The truth is that God knows specifically the pain of trauma and from that position speaks specifically to the depths of it. God does not leave us alone in our suffering either. God gives us words for the pain and trauma. Massive portions of the Bible were written in poetry, because mere prose cannot communicate the pain and struggle and emotion that poetry can. Not every prayer must end with the glorious shout of victory, despite what many simplistic blogs and books and sermons may suggest. The book of Lamentations (Book of Sorrows) ends in a whimper, in God’s arms, yet still fragile and vulnerable, still anxiously awaiting the victory. After trust seems to have been betrayed, whether it was trust in a God who could have prevented the pain, trust in a friend who was supposed to protect, trust in a system that was supposed to defend us the pain and trauma run much deeper. This is what David is saying in our reading today. We should look to words like these. They are more accurate, honest words. Truth can feel like a heavy burden for the hurting, but it is ultimately the only relief for the oppressed. Truthful and beautiful words cut through deceitful uses of Scripture and their accompanying half-truths. If trauma has brought you to a feeling of isolation, recognize God beside you in the midst of the assault on your worth and value. The Scripture is full of the words “meant for the foxhole.” They are words we never could have fully understood anywhere else. Let me direct you to one such passage written by the Apostle Paul: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV).