Trauma - Pt 5

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV).

Yesterday I ended the thought with a quote from the Apostle Paul; today, I begin with one from the same letter. Our reading is the apostle’s personal testimony about his physical trauma. This “thorn in the flesh” he references in verses 7-8 is much more than a mere splinter. He is talking about a “tent peg” sized pain. We don’t know exactly what it was, however, we know it was much more than a momentary inconvenience. God gives us himself, even in the midst of triggers. A “trigger” is when the past interrupts the present without apology, and often without warning. We may not even know we are being triggered until much later on. It may appear as an unexplained surge of anxiety or anger; it could be that feeling consistently experienced with one person or in a particular place. These things then point our minds back to previous pain. Triggers are neither good nor evil. They are adaptive tools our body gives us to protect us from future harm, but they are often overactive in telling us that there is danger where there is none. The Scripture gives us powerful words in defense. However, begin with an examination of your anxiety. Find the foundation of you particular triggers. Anxiety is often a prophet of doom from a future of half-truths. The traumatized must feel their ways through spiritual warfare like everyone else, but with a peculiar handicap. Recognize that God does not remove our memories of the painful experience. He does use it for our future good. They become clear billboard-sized warning signs for us while pointing us to the means of comfort and victory in every circumstance. So, trust, and beware. Step out, and watch your step. Don’t submit to the prison of your fear, but accept the advantage it gives you. Know that it wasn’t your fault, and don’t start blaming everyone else for everything else. The gospel really can provide the impossible feelings of joy, hope, and love for those willing to bravely embrace the impossibility with faith. Truth can feel like a heavy burden for the hurting, but it is ultimately the only relief for the oppressed. The truth is that Jesus became a human with all the weaknesses we face so that he could really be there with us every step of our own journey. You may not feel yourself running into glory, but limping; you may even feel crippled and carried. But take heart, Christ himself refuses to forget the scars of his earthly pain, even in glory: “I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). Trust Him!