Trauma and Healing

Have you ever been caught off guard by a wave of emotion, fear, anger, panic, or grief?

Trauma doesn’t just affect us emotionally; it impacts the mind, body, and spirit in deeply connected ways. Mentally, trauma can reshape how we think and feel, often leading to anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or difficulty concentrating. Physically, the body holds on to trauma through muscle tension, sleep issues, and an overactive nervous system, a phenomenon many experience even when there’s no immediate danger. These responses are the brain’s way of staying on guard, often long after the traumatic event has passed.

Spiritually, trauma can shake our faith, sense of purpose, and connection to God. It may cause us to question His presence or love, especially when the pain feels overwhelming or unanswered.

Trauma triggers are reminders, often unexpected and sometimes unexplainable, that bring us back to a place of pain we thought we had moved on from. They can be as subtle, yet they have the power to stir deep emotional responses like fear, anger, sadness, or even numbness. Scientifically, these reactions are part of the brain’s survival system the amygdala responds to perceived danger based on past experiences, activating our fight, flight, or freeze reflexes to protect us.

I invite you to look beyond the biology and see these moments through a spiritual lens as well. A trigger isn’t just a neurological glitch; it can be an indicator that this part of us is still tender, still bleeding, and still requires healing. It's not a sign of failure or weakness, but rather a reminder that God isn't done with you. Just as a physical wound aches when it hasn’t fully healed, our emotional and spiritual wounds may resurface through these triggers to show us where we still need to surrender, seek counsel, forgive, or receive grace.

In those moments, instead of being overcome by shame or frustration, we can say, “Lord, this pain has come up again. God desires to restore us completely. Through renewing the mind, calming the body, and reconnecting to God’s truth, we can begin to walk a path of full healing. Jesus came not just to comfort the hurting, but to make them whole.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3