Trauma to Transformation

by Sherri S. Grady, LPCS
Spring 2015

It is through the love and wounds of Jesus that we are healed definitively. Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit and working in collaboration with the power of the Lord is always our model. Jesus' words in Matthew 28:20 are "And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." We can do nothing apart from Him.

What is Trauma?

What are we really talking about when using the word trauma? Anything that happens to us, or something we witness that is unpredictable, out of our control, and threatens our sense of safety or the safety of those we love can be defined as a trauma. In addition, trauma is also described as the absence of good things or the presence of bad things in our lives as it relates to the nature of our relationships. Did it ever occur to you that Jesus experienced trauma?

Sometime in the first few years of His life, Jesus' parents had to move to Egypt because the ruler at the time was ordering the baby boys to be killed. Their sense of safety was certainly threatened. As He began truly living out His calling, His cousin John, who prepared the way for Him, was beheaded. He was unjustly accused of crimes that He knew would lead to His death. His community rejected Him and saved a ruthless criminal's life instead. He suffered the experience of death on a cross. It was not death on a sickbed with His loved ones around Him; not death in a comfortable place; but the death of a criminal in agony and shame.

Remember, Jesus was fully divine and fully human (Jn 20:31; Jn 1:14; 1 Jn 1:1–4.) He became a man with all the functions of His body, soul, and spirit. Therefore, He would have experienced extreme physical agony as well as shame, betrayal, and rejection within the context of His relationships. He would have experienced what we call a "broken heart."

We too, take the spiritual journey in a human body. When we experience events that threaten our sense of safety, the absence of good things, or the presence of bad things within the context of relationships, our whole selves are impacted—body, soul, and spirit. We have all experienced trauma at some level in ways that have influenced our belief system, emotions, and responses to God and others. Negative emotions or suffering is not something people enjoy. A principle of human nature is that we seek pleasure and avoid pain. We especially do not revel in being put down, persecuted, oppressed, rejected, or abused.

Joy and Pain

Suffering and joy are basic tenets of the Christian life. We know we will have trials in this world. Jesus was very clear in John 16:33: "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." When we experience something painful, unjust or violent, it is our natural tendency to try to make sense of it. The way the world typically makes sense of things is by blaming and shaming. (i.e. It's your fault. There's something wrong with you.)

We must not try to make sense of things apart from Jesus. We are called and equipped to look to God's word, especially the teachings of Jesus, when looking for wisdom or trying to sort things out. Even if we cannot make sense of something, we are invited to receive comfort from Him by drawing near to Him. When we cannot understand events that have happened, we can look to the One who never changes, whose name is the Prince of Peace. As Hebrews 13:8 promises, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

So... What About Pain?

Each of us views the world, ourselves, and others partially through the lens of our life experiences. It is crucial that we learn how to process our experiences alongside Christ and His Truth. The facts of our experiences typically lead us into dangerous territory regarding our conclusions and beliefs.

A common misbelief about God and pain is, "if God really loved me, He wouldn't let me experience pain." It is typical that when we experience trauma, beliefs are usually developed for the purpose of self–protection. Some of the most common ones I hear are, "I can't trust anyone," "It's all my fault, " and, "There must be something wrong with me." When we partner or agree with these beliefs because of our perceived need for survival, then it is natural for some confusion about the concept of dependency. Human relationships will include disappointment, pain, and hurt both unintentionally and intentionally, even in the best of circumstances. How we perceive pain and the resulting conclusions or interpretations we make, both consciously and subconsciously, about ourselves, others, the world, and God, impact us at every level of our body, soul, and spirit.

God, as our Heavenly Father, intended for us to know that we can experience pain or discomfort and either remain in or return to a state of peace. He intended for parents to provide experiences of safety that would set the child's brain to know and understand the nature of a dependable and loving God. This "setting of the brain" is very important because it sets us towards healthy attachment and dependency.

The willingness and capacity to enter into dependency is a crucial aspect of all intimate relationships, especially our relationship with the Godhead. Trauma of any type often generates confusion in the areas of safety and control, which dramatically influences our capacity to be in intimate relationships. When we refer to capacity, we are referring to the capacity of the person's biological brain, non–biological mind, and spirit. Basically, we are referring to the amount of physiological, psychological, and spiritual intensity a person can handle before disconnecting or shutting down in some way. Some define it as a person's "window of tolerance." A primary role we have in our relationship with God is to receive from Him. Receiving may be very difficult when there is confusion about dependency. Healing from the wounds of trauma brings restoration and transformation.

Experiencing His Presence — "Be still and know that I am God" — Psalm 46:10

The original meaning of the word "know" in the verse above goes beyond intellectual knowledge and includes an experiential form of knowing at the emotional or heart level. We are hardwired towards intimacy and interdependency.

Attunement is the process of experiencing peace, love and joy with another being. It is the emotional experience of someone being glad to be with you and being unconditionally loved. The resulting experiences of joy, love, and peace bring a deep sense of security. They are experiences which are congruent with being at rest with oneself and God, being securely attached to God and others, and being loved. These experiences are relational, emotional and nonverbal. This is one of the reasons knowing Truth only at a cognitive level brings limited freedom. Until the "knowing" is experienced at the level of the heart, there is usually a "disconnect" between the head and heart within a person.

In order to experience attunement, it is necessary to "be present" with another. The problem is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to fully experience the present moment while living in the past or the future. Living in the regrets or traumas of the past, or living in the fear or negative expectation of the future, are barriers to being present to God. Attunement with God is our blessing, our inheritance, and our promise. It is the promise of Love that is manifested in healthy attachments.

Being present to God means to occupy a position before Him, with Him, and in Him. Do you realize that you are being loved all the time by your Father in heaven? He sees you as He sees Jesus. Therefore, you also are His beloved. Just because you may not "experience it" doesn't mean it isn't happening.

God is not expecting us to love Him from our own initiative. He is expecting us to receive His love and then give it back to Him and others. To the very limit of our capacity He asks us to love. God initiates and we respond. Once we have experienced that connection, we are continually drawn back to that relationship out of trust and our own desire.

Healing Prayer

As stated earlier, it is by the love and wounds of Jesus that we are healed. He does the work. We trust Him to always be our adequacy. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 Jn 4:18). In many circumstances, healing prayer is needed in order for people to begin to connect or reconnect with Jesus. Because the experience of trauma threatens our sense of safety, restoring safety becomes of utmost importance in the healing process. Creating a safe environment for people in and of itself can facilitate a level of healing. Soaking prayer is a wonderful form of facilitating a safe, blessed environment. In addition, as prayer ministers listen to the prayer recipient, a message of value is given to the person, which is also a way of creating a safe environment. While there is no "formula" for healing prayer (as it is the role and function of the Holy Spirit), being sensitive to safety is crucial!

Some of the resulting fruit of healing prayer specifically for people suffering from trauma are:

• The ability to connect to a member of the Godhead and experience that union as safe and positive.
• Experience new perspectives about aspects of the trauma, themselves, others, and God.
• Truth, clarity and peace are often generated.
• Receive compassion that leads to a willingness to forgive.
• A change of heart.

Typically, people experience the power of empathy when engaged in the process of healing prayer. Shame cannot live or grow in the presence of empathy; Jesus is the ultimate example of empathy for us.

Guidelines for Prayer Ministry

Below are some general guidelines for the initial stages of praying for someone who has suffered trauma. While these may seem simple, they are necessary and foundational to the process of resolution for wounds from trauma.

• Invoke and focus on the Presence of Jesus
• Trust in Him
• Spend time being with Jesus
• Pray blessings
• Spend time praying the Word

The suggestions above are ways that facilitate intimacy with God. If someone has great difficulty trusting God, it will be initially challenging for them to connect with Him in a way that is positive. Below are areas which may need to be addressed in order to strengthen their capacity for intimacy.

• Healing image of God
• Healing image of self
• Recognition and renunciation of ungodly beliefs
• Confession, repentance and forgiveness
• Generational influence
• Deliverance

The healing process for the wounds of trauma is typically a layered one. It often happens over time. The rhythm can resemble the ebb and flow of the tide. A common barrier that arises in the process is that the recipient cannot perceive the presence of Jesus. When that occurs, pray for them to remember a time when they were aware of His presence. If the recipient has difficulty recalling a positive interaction with a member of the Godhead, do not proceed to any traumatic memories.

How Trauma Moves into Transformation

In the midst of trauma or difficult circumstances, or in the aftermath of trauma, are you able to think of your life as consistently immersed in blessing? For many of us this would probably be a real upgrade in perspective! Paul writes, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Eph 1:3 NRSV).

When we search the Scriptures, we see Paul saying to us, "Rejoice always;" "In nothing be anxious;" "In everything, give thanks." If we didn't have much information about Paul, we might assume he is in one of those seasons of life where he is "on top of the world!" And yet, he makes these statements from a Roman dungeon. He even goes on to write, "Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all"(Phil 2:17 ESV). Paul had been transformed. He was able to remain attuned in union with God regardless of His circumstances. He could experience painful things and yet rejoice. He had come to understand that his life was immersed in love and blessing from the Father. He understood a radically significant Truth in the deepest place of his soul.

We do have choices in the process of healing. We can choose self–protection or independence and turn away from God in the midst of our pain. When this stance is taken, we are either knowingly or unknowingly partnering with pride, unbelief, and despair. The other choice is to turn toward God in the midst of our suffering. This stance is one of faith, boldness, vulnerability and courage. It is choosing to draw near to Him. The willingness to enter into dependency is a necessary choice to experience attunement with God. As we connect with the Godhead, we receive truth, capacity, healing, and freedom. It is the experience of joyful intimacy in whatever way we need. He alone knows what our heart needs and He will meet us right where we are.

Jesus destroyed the power of trauma on the Cross. He took upon Himself all the sins of the world because of His great love for us. The Cross is the perfect symbol that represents the transformation of trauma in Jesus' death and His resurrection.

Beloved, we are not citizens of this world. We will continue to experience trials of all kinds and all levels of severity. In our humanity, it is natural that our emotions and our intellect will wrestle in the muck and mire of it all. We have the Spirit of God dwelling within us bringing all the love, joy, and peace of the Trinity to every inch within that we will let Him.

Jesus, You know exactly what it feels like to experience trauma and it is Your love that removes our fears. We pray for an increase in our experiences of the loving nature of Father God through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray for an increase in our capacity in order that we could receive more of Your love. We partner in faith that You are transforming us so that we are Your reflection to others.

Teacher and author, Sherri Grady is a licensed professional counselor and supervisor in private practice and resides in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.