Traveling Through Trauma
By Rob Wiltshire
On Sunday we had Rob Hunter share his story of when he and his pupils were kidnapped and held for ransom at gunpoint.
If you missed it, it was an intriguing story which you can watch here.
To give you a quick overview. Rob had just graduated as a teacher and scored his first teaching gig in Gippsland in a place called Wooreen.
On day nine of his first job, Rob and his students were kidnaped and held for ransom at gunpoint — along with several other people who were kidnapped along the way.
Eventually the indecent ended with gunfire between the kidnapper and the police.
Rob went through an extremely traumatic experience, but despite that, he still went on and had a long teaching career. He didn’t let the trauma hold him hostage to the past.
Trauma hurts, grabs hold of us and does all it can to keep us bound mentally to that event.
So often when we go through a traumatic experience, life moves on, people around us move on, but we stay frozen in the past. And when this happens it affects every area of our lives. Our careers, families, marriages, relationships, etc.
When it comes to trauma, one thing is certain…we will all go through it. We will all experience it in different ways, but at one point or another, we will all be faced with a traumatic experience.
For Rob Hunter this was being kidnapped at gunpoint. For me it has been losing my sister in-law in a car accident.
Perhaps for you it’s the loss of a loved one, its bankruptcy, it’s a miss-carriage, a drought, a divorce, losing a job during an economic downturn, etc.
For those of you that have been thought it, you will know that trauma is horrific. It hurts, there are multiple emotions you are trying to navigate. Tasks you once found easy, are all of a sudden too difficult to attempt.
For example, several years ago I was involved in a car accident in Tasmania where I lost control of the car I was driving and the vehicle rolled 5 times before coming to a holt. Luckily no one was hurt. But after than driving was a scary experience.
When dealing with trauma, what used to be a meaningless task, can become something that paralyses us with fear.
Trauma is a seed bed for fear, and fear the door way to death.
Now I am not saying fear literally kills us, but it sure does figuratively. It begins destroying us by stopping us from living. It keeps us from living by holding us in the past too scared to step out into the unknown; to scared of the “what if’s”
Trauma destroys us by holding us hostage to the “What if’s.”
When predators hunt, very rarely do they take down the healthy animals. They target the animal that can’t move as fast because they have a sore leg, or a cold, or something that slows them. Predators target whatever animal is lagging behind, for the simple reason that; they are easier prey than the others.
When it comes to us is it any different?
Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that the thief — Satan, the Devil, the enemy, etc. — comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
Peter writes about this in 1 Peter 5:8
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Going through trauma doesn’t mean we are weak or any less of a person. Navigating trauma is a part of life. But we are supposed to navigate it, not be held captive by it.
This is precisely the plan of the enemy. His desire is to use our trauma to hold us hostage to the past. He keeps us from stepping out by reminding us of the “what if’s.”
What if you had another miss-carriage? Best not to put yourself through that pain again by not trying.
What if there is no rain? Best not to plant that crop and face another financial disaster.
What if these people are ripped from my life like_______________? Best not to get too close to them…keep your distance.
What if this person leaves me like______________? Don’t even build a relationship, chances are they can’t be trusted either.
Etc.
The enemy is a roaring lion whispering “what if’s” in our ears, attempting to hold us hostage to the past.
But the verse doesn’t stop there. It’s the end part of this verse that gives me comfort when I find myself dealing with and having to navigate trauma.
1 Peter 5:9-10
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
My encouragement to you if you are dealing with trauma is to keep placing your trust, your faith in Jesus, knowing that he will lead your heart out of and away from the chains that are attempting to imprison and keep you there.
If you are going through a traumatic experience reach out to Jesus, talk to him about it and reach out to a Christian Counsellor who can help you navigate through this difficult season.
If you need help with this, feel free to contact me.