Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ
Well, the rollercoaster that we call life continues to roll on. It sometimes feels like a never-ending-ride, one day blends or even collides with the next, one moment you are doing okay and then yet another twist or turn enters your life.
For some of us we have not yet found the off switch for our ‘fight or flight mode’ that was triggered by the traumatic season we are living in. Marie and I have the pleasure of being in on a webinar (seminar delivered via the web) on this very topic of trauma. It is very interesting because Sandra Sellmer-Kersten made this very point – “that some of us have had the part of our brain that protects us from danger, the amygdala, triggered in this season and its still firing”. So, she says, we will find ourselves in either fight, flight, freeze, or fawn (become ultra compliant) mode, or a mixture of all of the above, until we can find a way to ‘deal with’ the trauma that has triggered us. You might say this is some psychological mumbo-jumbo but I regret to say its a well attested ‘fact of life’, like death and taxes.
Think of a child who crashes their bike (traumatic event) – the trauma of the event event manifests as shaking, trembling and tears. The parent intervenes catches up the child and loves them, ministers to their need, brings comfort as required and encouragement go have another go. That trauma does not find a home. Think on the other hand of our defence for personal who have experienced trauma over and over again during war time. If there was no way for the trauma to be reconciled then it finds a home and manifests in behaviour that we have labeled now PTSD. A small trigger, like another trauma, becomes the ‘big red button’ that manifests in all sorts of ways. If the way trauma was faced was with anger and aggression then guess what happens next. It is clear to me that the rise in domestic violence in this season is in part due to unresolved trauma.
Does this sound like commonsense to you? It does to me! Trauma will be finding its form in us if we have not been able to resolve trauma triggers in our lives. We will find that we can not seem to think clearly or find another way to respond other than, fight, flight, freeze or fawn.
Nevertheless, as children of the most high, as members of the family of God who have a loving Father, we can be confident of this – our Father is on hand in this traumatic time, where everything seems to be out of your control, and is there ready to scoop you up in his arms in love, minister to your need, bring the comfort you need through dismantling the trauma and pouring in Holy Spirit, then encouraging you to have another go. With the promise of the Holy Spirit that he wants to breath into you.
My friends we of all people are blessed – the boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places, spiritually and physically. Our Father is just waiting for the opportunity to minister into your life, so that you might do more than exist -waiting for the next unknown to do its worst.
This week invite Holy Spirit to shine a light into your life, into the way your life is manifesting in light of the trauma – run shaking trembling and in tears into His arms – confess your ‘fears’ – bring them to the cross and and invite ‘our Father’ to wash the trauma from you and replace the trauma that has found a home in your body with his presence.
Clearly I am just skipping across the surface of a big issue. Marie and others in our church are experienced in prayer ministry that can help with the immediate issues and those that are stored away from past events. Can I say this, it is not your fault, our minds and bodies function this way to protect us. Fear is not always a bad thing. There is no shame in recognising and naming where we are at, I think the greater shame is determining to live in and with the effects of unresolved trauma. Give Marie a call! There are people nearby who can help.
On another note, but not disconnected from these thoughts is our remembrance of our defence force personal and connected families and communities. This Saturday we remember our ANZACs. Some will receive this letter after ANZAC Day but for the rest of us, let us take time to remember and honour those who have ‘layed down their lives’ in service of their brothers and sisters. Let us remember there is no greater sacrifice. Men and women through through many wars and battles, have served and are still serving . Wives and husbands, families, generations and communities still live with the traumatic outcomes of war. Your honour of them will go some way to scooping them up into the loving embrace of the Father, who will love on them, and encourage them to have another go today and tomorrow.