Surrendering Our Trauma
Marie Monville, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody (Isaiah 51:3).
Grief, loss, and brokenness, those words are interchangeable. They are not just about physical death; it’s the death of our dreams, our hope, and sometimes our faith. It’s the hope of our lives getting better, the hope of feeling happy, or the faith in our ability to move beyond the pain. We experience these things due to the trauma we’ve faced.
Trauma is heavy. It creeps into the way we view life. Often, it causes us to walk in fear of more pain in the future. Trauma is a weight that multiplies — constantly expecting the worst-case scenario — and we are scared to admit that it exists inside of us.
In my journey of trust, I’ve learned how to lay down my trauma — both real and imagined. I don’t want to live a life based on past brokenness; I want more than that. I want freedom from its residual effects. And I believe that as much as I want it for myself, God wants it even more. He has so much more planned for our lives, but in order to receive what He has, we must surrender the trauma we know. He wants what we’re carrying, and He offers us an exchange; our brokenness for His healing.
But we must choose to make the exchange. He will not force it upon us.
Sometimes, it’s a daily choice. As we make that choice consistently — the choice to believe that God is the Redeemer and that He is crafting something beautiful from our broken pieces, we are embracing the truth of His Word! As you stand on trust and invite Him to bring the redemption he’s promised, you’ll begin to see it. You’ll see Him! You’ll see the way He is doing subtle things you would’ve missed before. You’ll see His love in the blue jay feather you found on the sidewalk on your way home from the mailbox. You’ll see His love in the shooting star, lighting up the night sky. You’ll feel His love in the quiet morning breeze as you sit on your porch with a cup of coffee. You’ll hear His love in the promises spoken as your heart wakes up to the sound of His voice. To paraphrase one author, you move from worry and grief to watching — watching for His fingerprints on your life.
You’ll feel Him drawing you into His love. And yes, there may be some days that you pick up your trauma, days that you choose to trust in the fear of “what if” instead of the assurance that He is always right here. But even then, He’s still with you, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. He promises His children His presence and He is our promise-keeping God. He cannot lie.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Today I’m asking you to think about the trauma you’ve carried. I know this will not come easily. It is painful, but the exchange is beautiful. He is the God of redemption. His Son, Jesus, is your redeemer, and He’s already in the process of redeeming your brokenness. Let Him carry it. Embrace surrender and rest.
PRAYER
Join me in this prayer: “God, today I choose You. I choose to surrender my trauma and believe that You are the God of my redemption. Show me the beauty of Your love in my life and the way You are transforming it even now. Show me Jesus.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Marie Monville - From Marie… I’m a wife and mom of 6 kids. I recently became a “Lolli” (my term for grandma, yes my husband is “Pop”) and love everything about my sweet grandson. I’m passionate about my family and believe in the redemptive beauty of adoption. You’ll find me advocating for the older child. Family dinners are special, so they are a priority in our home. Sometimes that means a nice meal on real dishes, and other days, that’s leftovers on paper plates! I’m a dreamer, a believer, and if you’re in my circle, I’ll champion you and your goals! I love real relationships, and that means living life with authenticity. So yeah, on any given day there might be 12+ pairs of my kids’ shoes between our living and dining room; I’m still working on that! (https://mariemonville.com/about/).
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Friday, 15 July 2022.
SHARE
