Traumas and tragedies: Jesus cares!

Most of us have gone through something traumatic in our lives. Trauma is often determined by our emotional and spiritual condition at the moment of impact. Though some will wear a mask and seem to rebound immediately, others resort to becoming the proverbial “basket case.” Typically, we dust ourselves off and tell ourselves to be a grown-up, deal with it the best way we know how and move on. There's a problem with that attitude: it doesn't work.

No matter how badly we attempt to suppress that/those thing(s) that happened to us, truth is, it all becomes a part of us. We might “replay the movie” or experience “triggers” which cause us to re-live the moment, never really experiencing freedom from the incident, the liberty promised in God's Word. As Christians, even though we read the Bible, attend church and have momentary flashes of God's grace, we wonder why it is we still struggle with depression, anger, sleeplessness, addictive behaviors, nightmares, bad relationships and more. Where is that life of an overcomer we hear so much about?

I submit to you this response: We are receptacles. All our lives, good and bad, stuff is being poured into us. From poor parenting to physical, sexual and emotional abuse, bullying, rejection and neglect. From bad relational soul-ties, books, magazines, videos to bad religious training and a damaging public education, it's all in there. Add to that a divorce, sickness, a natural or manmade disaster and we, as receptacles, are filled with incidents that will hinder our faith, cripple us a Christians, and destroy our lives, all according to Satan's plan. As the years go by, we wonder why our self-esteem is so low, why we get so easily offended or angered, why we sabotage our relationships. Despite our fervor for Jesus, we are convinced “something” isn't right. Church attendance doesn't seem to have a long-lasting impact, so we bail-out on that. Then, guilt sets in as Satan continues messing with our minds.

I CAN'T HANDLE THIS!

So, there we are, a bottle filled with all those negatives. Who could possibly handle all that? Well, His Name is Jesus. If we could only find the strength to release what has become so great a part of who we are. It's downright scarey!

The central theme of the New Testament is “Jesus is Lord!” We say it, but what does it mean? The word 'Lord' is the Greek word “kyrios.” Literally, the word means “Owner.”

Hmmm. Jesus is the Owner? “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world and all who dwell in it.” (Psalm 24:1). Jesus truly does own all things. The problem is, most people are trying to hang on to what He should actually be lording over, i.e., our pain, our hurts, our tragedies and traumas. No parent can put a broken wheel back on a toy truck unless that truck is released into their hands. Get it? We have to relinquish control. Therein lies the challenge.

My suggestion is this: Pray with fervor for the grace it will take to truly let go of whatever hindering garbage you've been carrying around all these years. Let Jesus BE the Lord of that junk. He said, “My yoke is easy, My burden is light.” Don't go one more day without making that swap!

While I was in Moore, Oklahoma, many with whom I spoke were brought to tears when they realized they'd been playing god with their own lives, carrying burdens they were never meant to carry, including the trauma of losing everything to a tornado or flood, in some cases, more than once in their lives. Can you see why so many of our military personnel are never the same after facing the tragedy, fear and pain associated with combat?

Throwing drugs, alcohol and money at the problem is NOT the answer. Neither is religious routine! This is about you and the lordship of Jesus regarding your emotional health, NOT church attendance. In the months after a disaster, suicides and divorce often follow suit, not to mention an increase in drinking, etc. In an attempt to self-medicate, even God-loving people make poor choices out of desperation, only to wind up guilt-ridden.

MAYBE THIS WILL HELP YOU!

Following is an exercise I recommend everyone reading this should take part in. You have nothing to lose: 1) close your eyes and think about the most traumatic incident you've ever experienced. What happened? 2) What were you doing when the incident took place? Where were you? 3) What stands out in your mind as the most significant thing to happen to you about this incident? 4) Had you ever felt like this prior to the incident? 5) What has been happening in your life since the incident took place (insomnia, grief, anger, fear)? 6) What possible good could come about as a result of that awful incident (there IS an answer)?

Talking through these questions with a trusted friend, a minister or a counselor could be the very thing you need in order to experience freedom from something that's held you in bondage for decades. Guarantee: if you do nothing, nothing has any chance of changing.

In Moore, many people experienced the end of the world as they'd known it. While one merely experienced a flooded bedroom – a major incident, depending on one's emotional and spiritual state at that moment - others had near-death, surreal experiences or lost everything they owned – car, house, job, pets, maybe even a loved one. Will this event be a stumbling block for the rest of their lives, or a launching pad? Will they wind up being an elderly nursing home Resident wondering why they've always slept so poorly, struggled with depression and turned to alcohol, or had such an unseemly disposition all their lives?

This one thing I know: After walking amidst the devastation of that little Oklahoma suburb, I still can not believe hundreds didn't perish there. Even when it was reported 51 had died, the number was ultimately reduced to 24. The Survivors have experience firsthand the grace of Almighty God; they're alive! Many are asking “For what purpose, Lord?” Believe me, He has one. As a man who has lost everything in the past, trust me, He has one.

And all things really DO work together for good! (Romans 8:28)

What about you? Don't you want to have the greatest Christian impact possible in the days ahead? Is anything from your past holding YOU back?

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Founder, The Church @ Work