Last year at this time, God taught me my first lesson on trauma recovery. It was very scary. But since then it’s been easier to trust Him.  I still experience triggers. They are my body’s natural response to a perceived danger.  But spiritually, they are landmarks on the map to restoration. He’s showing me exactly what ground needs to be held. Which territory needs to be taken back to walk in wholeness. 

People who are recovering from trauma feel very bad about it. They are constantly lied to by the enemy about how they are doing and told to withdraw. Few of us are able to believe in victory with the smallest mustard seed. Tell them how good they’re doing. Tell them how God is using their story .  Tell them it’s ok that they are not OK and that they will be OK again. Figure out what HOPE looks like to them and give them as much as you can. 

Victory has many different faces. No matter what you’re facing, find your victory in it. 

And huddle up people. Nobody walks alone. Better together. Herd mentality.  That’s how the body of Christ works best- – all parts in concert with the other parts.  Arriving at what is sweet and pleasing to our Father in Heaven. 

It’s so hard to understand that . . . As much as we hurt and we hurt so much.  

He has never hurt us. He is only here to help us.  Even that help will sometimes be dressed in hurt’s clothing.  Pressing in to pain is NOT natural. Trusting a God who you know was powerful enough to prevent all of this is HARD. 

Let’s be honest about that. The lack of honesty looks like hypocrisy and a faith without heart. But ugly, raw , open hearts that openly hemorrhage the truth of their offerings . . . Those  hearts have the kind of irresistible integrity that pulls people to Jesus. They get cleaned out and healed so they can love others. 

They get it. That elusive it we all feel we need and have trouble finding. . . 

It has a name. It’s name is Jesus.