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February 1 - February 8, 2025
“Trust is the oxygen of all human relationships.”
The trauma of having your trust broken by people you thought would never betray you is life altering. But it doesn’t have to be life ruining.
So the shift in how we process life situations and relationships after trauma is more than just our emotional reactions; it’s a change that happens physically in our brains.
Ecclesiastes 7:14: “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”
When we quit on hope, we will become blind to the evidence of God’s goodness all around us.
Every trauma has two parts to it: the fact of what happened and the impact it had on us.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13)
“For every rip there needs to be a repair.”
Remember, sometimes distrust is the only responsible trust there is. Distrust in situations of continued broken trust is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of great strength.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22–25 CSB)
Just to reiterate, building or rebuilding trust requires a combination of three things: time, believable behavior, and a track record of trustworthiness. Taking baby steps allows for all three of those things to happen.
“Trusting God is holding loosely the parts of my life I want to hold most tightly.” It is true. And God can be trusted.
I never realized that suffering is actually a sign God is leading us in the exact right direction toward redemption. Suffering isn’t a pitfall preventing our redemption. Suffering isn’t proof that we should doubt God’s goodness. Suffering doesn’t mean that trusting God is too risky. Suffering is our reminder to stay closer to God than ever before and not to resist His leading. God’s way is the right way no matter how confusing it gets along the way. And God’s time is the right time no matter how untimely it seems to us.
There will always be a gap between what we see and the full story God knows.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
We are all on a journey. God is with us. God is for us. But how He leads us and where He leads us will always be a bit of a mystery. But what doesn’t have to be mysterious is this: we will see God’s glory either on this side of eternity or on the other side. His glory will not be mocked. His glory will not be denied. His glory will be seen by those who have given their hearts to Him. We just might travel different paths than others around us.
I cannot attach my hope to God making things feel fair. And I certainly can’t attach my hope to the outcomes I desperately want. I have to attach my hope to who God is.
The absence of justice isn’t evidence of the absence of God.
Doing things God’s way and in God’s timing is the right way a...
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This is what I can control: making wise choices today. This is what I can’t control: all that happens in the tomorrows to come.
Controlling others breeds chaos. Surrendering to God produces peace.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
“Trauma isn’t an event that happens. It’s how you process the event.”
And growing means we are living. And living means there’s more good that God wants us to participate in.
Your life is not a tragedy. It’s a testimony that God is your Rock and your Redeemer. And if your hands are shaking, let it be only because you’re pointing at the devil, who picked the wrong girl to mess with this time. Don’t wait until you feel brave. Go be brave. Remember: if God is for you, there is nothing that can stand against you (Romans 8:31).
Instead of focusing on all that was taken from me, maybe I could shift my focus to what this new season could give me.
You are stronger than you know, wiser than you give yourself credit for, and more alive today than ever before.
Sometimes whole doesn’t mean put back together the exact right way. For if someone discovers fullness within each broken piece, each part takes on a wholeness of its own.
He is trustworthy. He knows our story from beginning to end. He knows right where we are today. He is with you. And where God is, good is being worked out. Hold tightly to Him. And keep on going, friend. There is a great big world out there.
