I have been a part of multiple conversations in the recent past that have been stark reminders of lack of awareness of how the things of life may affect any individual in any given circumstance.

To sum up the conversations, would be to say there are:

* Multiple views on trauma.

* Numerous opinions on what trauma is.

* Countless arguments why trauma exists or why it does Not exist.

Do you get the point?

There are countless explanations why people say that it exists or doesn’t, not to mention the thought that trauma is merely an excuse to stay in our pain.

Ouch!

That last one stings deeply for some of us and perhaps more mildly for others.

Wherever you find yourself on the spectrum of what trauma is and why it exists. Would you just hear me out on what I think is one of the best explanations of the T word, I have heard to date through my own personal journey of healing?

I don’t believe this to be new information for some of you and for those of you that it is new, may it begin to spark awareness to the effects of and then also the process of healing.

Trauma is when an event takes place in an individual’s life that is so overwhelming that the individual feels alone and overwhelmed with emotion and believes he doesn’t have the resources to handle what is taking place.

Now. Let me note this.

This tends to be more prevalent in young children, but adults are not exempt.

Yes. That’s it.

That’s how trauma happens/can happen.

And.

It. Is. Very. Real.

And hard.

And agonizing

And very wearing.

But. Then there’s healing.

Yes. Healing.

Which is allowing someone to sit with you to undo the aloneness so you can heal.

That also.

Is very real.

Very difficult

Extremely agonizing.

But also healing and freeing.

There are days I wish I could say I don’t know much of anything about it but I can Not be silent with what I do know.

Why is that you may ask?

In my own journey the silence only hurt me further, in fact silence only enabled people to continue causing tremendous levels of pain. Silence too can be traumatizing.

Yes. It’s true. Silence is seldom golden.

I do recognize there’s a time to be silent, the Bible even says so, but may we always be in alignment with the Lord on what we are silent about.

May I encourage you to educate yourself if you, yourself are on a journey to heal from trauma or if you find yourself in a place of being a support person a friend on their journey of healing.

Awareness/education and allowing the Lord to lead you, is absolute key, in walking with someone even if it’s vast unfamiliar territory to you.

You can’t heal anyone. Only God can do that! But He can and does use His children to be vessels if we are willing.

Once we have been the recipient of a grace that meets our vulnerability, we want to show the same kind of grace to others. This is what empathy does, it extends grace to others in order to create authentic connection. ~Hinman & Warner

Until the next inspiration.

~V