1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: Life audio. You don't fight flights for you. Yeah, that 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: autonomic response trauma is recorded on the brain in that center, 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: which is really different than the Hey, I'm having an experience. 4 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: When my nervous system is calm and I am navigating 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: some sort of experience, It's recorded for us on our 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: brain in a different way. 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: Right. 8 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: One of the things that happens that we lose our voice. 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Faith over Fear podcast, where we share 10 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: powerful shoes to quiet anxiety and fear big and small. 11 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 2: I'm Carol McCracken. Have you ever noticed that sometimes you're 12 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: not just carrying your own burdens anymore? It can start 13 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 2: to feel like you're carrying somebody else's too. You wake up, 14 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: you check your phone, and before you've even had your 15 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 2: first cup of coffee, you've already read about another conflict, 16 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 2: another natural disaster, another act of violence, or another person 17 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 2: you know who's really struggling. Even if none of it 18 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 2: is happening directly to you, your body still responds, and 19 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: your shoulders tense up, and your thoughts start raising, and 20 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: you can feel overwhelmed before your day's begun. I think 21 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 2: a lot of us are living this way now, and 22 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 2: we're asking ourselves some honest questions. It's this normal. Why 23 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: do I feel exhausted all the time? And how do 24 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 2: I continue to care deeply about the world around me 25 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 2: without being consumed by it? Well, today we're talking about 26 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 2: something incredibly important because so many people are carrying a 27 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: heaviness that they can't quite explain. We're going to talk 28 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 2: about what happens to our minds, our bodies, and even 29 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 2: our spiritual lives when we're constantly exposed to difficult circumstances 30 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: and heartbreaking news. But we're also going to talk about hope, 31 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 2: because this isn't a conversation about staying stuck. It's a 32 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 2: conversation about how God meets us in those places and 33 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: begins to restore what feels broken. Joining me today is 34 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 2: Rebecca Taguma from the Trauma Healing Institute. In fact, she's 35 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 2: the executive director of Restoring Hope Ministry there too, and 36 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: it's a ministry of the American Bible Society, and Rebecca 37 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 2: helps people get tools to understand how overwhelming experiences affect 38 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 2: us and how God's word can become a pathway towards 39 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: genuine healing and restoration. So, Rebecca, that was a lot. 40 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: So I'm so glad that you're here with us today 41 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: to talk about this, and so many of our listeners 42 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: right now they're living this heaviness and we seem to 43 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 2: be carrying the weight of the world around us. Why 44 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 2: do you think so many people are feeling this sense 45 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 2: of overwhelm right now? 46 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, the world is a difficult place at the moment. 47 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: Pain and hurt, sin, trauma have been a part of 48 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: the human experience for a very long time. I think 49 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:51,119 Speaker 1: what feels different is our constant exposure to it. We're 50 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: aware of what trauma is a bit more than we 51 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: used to be, but there's more of it going on, 52 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,080 Speaker 1: in part because of the news cycle social media. I 53 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: think part of it is loneliness and our sense of 54 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: isolation from one another because that's not how God intends 55 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: us to be. And that feeling of overwhelmed, disconnectedness, isolation, 56 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: pain that we're carrying is in part because we are 57 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: disconnected from the way God intended us to be connected 58 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: to one another and to Him, and it can give 59 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: the illusion of connectedness without the reality of connectedness. 60 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: Can you help us understand what's actually happening to our 61 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: mind and bodies when we're getting so much difficult information 62 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: all the time. 63 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: Let me talk about trauma specifically, Okay, because that's really 64 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: where the Trauma Healing Institute is focused. Trauma, grief, loss, pain, 65 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: they're related, but they're slightly different. So trauma is an experience. 66 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: When we talk about trauma, we tend to think about 67 00:03:54,760 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: the thing, So the accident, the disaster, the abuse, Okay, 68 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: but trauma isn't the thing. Trauma is the experience of 69 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: the event or the event, and trauma is what happens 70 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: to us. So it is a deep wound of the 71 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: heart and mind that causes deep suffering, and it leaves 72 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected, and it takes a very 73 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: long time to heal, and it hurts every part of us. 74 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: It affects our relationships, our bodies, our thoughts, our faith. 75 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: So when we're talking about this feeling, often it is trauma, 76 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: either because of what we experience ourselves or what we 77 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: call secondary trauma, which is when we are hearing about 78 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: the trauma that someone else has experienced. So those two 79 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: things leave us traumatized. I don't want to overstate that, 80 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: because trauma is quite serious and gets thrown around a 81 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: lot as a word in the vernacular, but it is 82 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: some thing that affects us very deeply, even when it 83 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: didn't happen to us, but we are kind of living 84 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: it vicariously from other people. 85 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 2: I've heard the term trauma bonding lightly use like if 86 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 2: you're at work and you have a bad experience, like 87 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: a bad boss, and it's like, who were trauma bonding together? 88 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 2: Is that a real term? 89 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: Again, not a psychological professional, So, like my job is 90 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: to make sure that we equip churches with resources that 91 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: are filled with mental health best practice, I think trauma 92 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: bond So I am not the right person to answer 93 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: that question, but I will say that it's good that 94 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 1: we have these phrases because it makes people aware that, 95 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: like listen, when we go through something difficult together, it 96 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: does create a sense of shared connectedness. So I will 97 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: not speak to the phrase trauma bonding, but I will 98 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: say that being together in a safe community with someone 99 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: that you can share your story with is critical to 100 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: the process of healing, and so you don't necessarily have 101 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: to go through the bad thing together, but connectedness is 102 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: critical to overcoming the isolation and even the pain that 103 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: we experience when we experience to trauma because when something 104 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: traumatic happens, but several things happen to us, Okay, one 105 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: of them is that we lose our voice. Literally, the 106 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: way trauma is recorded on the brain is different than 107 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: the way other things are recorded, other kinds of memories. Yeah, 108 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: it's a different part of the brain. You don't fight, flight, 109 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: freeze that autonomic response, right. Trauma is recorded on the 110 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: brain in that center, which is really different than the Hey, 111 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: I'm having an experience when my nervous system is calm, 112 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 1: and we may not be able to talk about what 113 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: happened to us. The next thing is that we feel isolated. 114 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: We believe that this could only have happened to us 115 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: and no one else. And lastly, it impacts our physical 116 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: bodies as well, which we know like when you're stressed out, 117 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: what can you have a heart attack? Literally, our body 118 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: experiences what our mind has experienced. They're connected. And so 119 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: to make sense of that traumatic experience, we need to 120 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: tell the story, because that's how we get rid of 121 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: the thing that happened to us. We tell our story 122 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: to someone who's safe, and then we make sense of wait, 123 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: what happened, how did I feel about it? What was 124 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: the hardest part of it, and as I begin to 125 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: make sense of it, it doesn't control me in the 126 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: same way that it did in that sort of subconscious way. 127 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: So I can't speak to trauma bonding, but I will 128 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: say on the process of healing. When bad things happen, 129 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: we do actually need a safe friend and a confidant 130 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: who we can share our story with so that we 131 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: can make sense of what happened to us. Yeah, and 132 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: so that we know that we're not alone in our pain, 133 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 1: and it gives us a sense of hope. But when 134 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: we just bottle it all up and hold on to it, 135 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: and we often can't make sense of it, and it 136 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: kind of flagues us as we're out in the world. 137 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: And I think that's true when we pick those things 138 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: up from other people because it happened to them and 139 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: we're hearing about it, or if it's something that actually 140 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: happened to us. 141 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 2: Wow, that makes a whole lot of sense too. I've 142 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 2: heard a lot of people say I don't know why 143 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: I feel this way because my life's actually okay. Why 144 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 2: does this happen? 145 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: Well, I think that are a couple of reasons. The 146 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: first is that life might feel okay, right now, but 147 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: there was probably a time when life did not feel okay, 148 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: and a lot of us have had bad things that 149 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: have happened to us, and we carry those with us, 150 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: whether we recognize it or not, even if we've begun 151 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 1: the process of healing, even if we're really far down 152 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: the road of healing, those are still a part of 153 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: who we are. And so when we bump up against 154 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 1: situations that are similar to the thing that happened to us, 155 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: it can remind us of the pain that we experience 156 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: and it can bring that up for us. So that 157 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: can be one way. Another way is that we are 158 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: designed to be in relationship with each other. God when 159 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: he created Adam said is not good for man to 160 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: be alone. They were created to be connected to each other. 161 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: And so I think one of the reasons that we 162 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 1: can feel the heaviness around us is because we care 163 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,719 Speaker 1: for our fellow human being who's also created in the 164 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: image of God, and the pain that they are experiencing. 165 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,479 Speaker 1: And fundamentally, we're story people. Humans are created for stories. 166 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: If you tell me, like I just described to you, 167 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: what happens when you experience trauma and how it's on 168 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: your brain, You're not going to connect with that in 169 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 1: the same way that if I tell you about my 170 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: personal story of having experienced this terrible thing and then 171 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: it affected me in this way I felt so alone, 172 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: you're going to connect with me in a different way. 173 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: So I think when we're hearing those stories of what 174 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: have happened to people, fundamentally we're designed to care about 175 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: the stories of other people and connect with those because 176 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: that's how we're wired, that's how humans are created. 177 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 2: It makes a whole lot of sense to me. What's 178 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: the difference then, between going through a difficult experience and 179 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 2: living in a constant state of overwhelm. 180 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, those are two different things, and they can be related. 181 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: If you have a traumatic experience it's unresolved and you 182 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 1: don't work on healing, you can be in a constant 183 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: or a near constant state of overwhelmed. Let me just 184 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: say you experience someone and you're like, there's something not 185 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: right there. It could be it could be that they 186 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 1: have PTSD or they have experienced trauma and they have 187 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: not healed from that, so they're exhibiting symptoms of a 188 00:10:53,960 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: traumatic experience. It's unresolved, and so that's what happens. There 189 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: are three main things that you will notice when someone 190 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: has unresolved trauma. It's the way it presents it in 191 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: the life of someone who's experienced trauma. The first is reliving, 192 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: So this is where you're having nightmares or you are thinking, 193 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: talking about the same story over and over on repeat, 194 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: sort of obsessing about it. It feels real and immediate 195 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: for the person who's experiencing it. So that's one symptom. 196 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: Another one would be avoidance, avoiding reminders of the experience. 197 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: So this is what I was talking about where I 198 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: was saying people won't talk about their experience. Yeah, this 199 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: is avoiding because they don't want to talk about it, 200 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: and it stuff it down. Of course, the more you 201 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: do that, you feel in a constantative overwhelm, in part 202 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: because you have varied something inside and all of the 203 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: emotions that go along with it, and there's only so 204 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,319 Speaker 1: much space that a human has. We're carrying pain around. 205 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: You have to have a release voalve to get rid 206 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: of that. We're not designed to carry that pain on 207 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: our own. And then the last thing is that you 208 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: could be on alert. This is where you see a 209 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: lot of those physical symptoms with headaches and stomach aches. 210 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 1: Our bodies are deeply impacted by traumatic events, and so 211 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: when we don't tend to these traumas by doing things 212 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: like telling a safe friend about our experience, or doing 213 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: other things to take care of our bodies and our minds, 214 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: like going outside and spending time in nature, or doing 215 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: things that bring us joy, or praying or meditating things 216 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: that calm us and centri us. If we don't do 217 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 1: those things, it's easy to like really dig into the 218 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: symptom of being on alert, where you are vigilant, paranoid, 219 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,719 Speaker 1: constantly concerned. So when you talk about overwhelmed, those are 220 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: the three things that I think about as examples or 221 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: how that overwhelm or trauma presents in the lives of 222 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: a lot of people. And so you have to tend 223 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: to those different issues. So, like when you relive something 224 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: it feels like you're having a nightmare or you're triggered 225 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: by something. You can do grounding exercises, which is exactly 226 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,079 Speaker 1: what it sounds like. You just take a moment to 227 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: think about, I feel the ground underneath my feet, or 228 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: I feel the hands that God gave me touching each other. 229 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: You look around your actual experience the nature around you, 230 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: and focus on those small things that God has put 231 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: in front of you, rather than the feeling of overwhelm. 232 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: And often you can accompany this with gratitude. I love 233 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: so many of the psalms are descriptive of nature in 234 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: very detailed ways, like as the deer pants for water, 235 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: so my soul longs for you. What a beautiful picture. 236 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: And part of that is grounding, like oh wait, I'm 237 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: looking up. I see the deer, I see the water, 238 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 1: I see the trees. This helps to move us from 239 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,199 Speaker 1: fixating on this thing that's we're focused on and reliving 240 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: to the world that God has made around us. That's 241 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: just an example of the kinds of things that you 242 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: can do to tend to these sort of ways that 243 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: trauma present. 244 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 2: I think that I accidentally grounded and didn't know what 245 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 2: it was because when I went to a mission trip, 246 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 2: it was wonderful. It was in Spain, it was overseas, 247 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 2: it was a great experience. Then the last night we're 248 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 2: having a debrief at a restaurant in Madrid, my purse 249 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 2: was stolen. 250 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: Oh wonderful. 251 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 2: Sorry, all of my ID, my phone, my everything, my 252 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 2: whole identification was taken. Okay, So my poor little friend 253 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 2: had to take care of me. We went down to 254 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 2: the police station to file a report. We went back 255 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 2: to the airbnb. But that next morning, after I couldn't 256 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 2: sleep very well, I opened up the curtains and I 257 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 2: think I was grounding because I'm like, ah, the sun 258 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 2: is coming up. I'm right here, I'm right now. Look look, 259 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 2: those people are going to work. I'm in the present. 260 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 2: I'm going to be fine. 261 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: Is that right, that's it, That's exactly right. Yeah, that's 262 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: a grounding exercise. Just look around and describe to yourself 263 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: what you see. 264 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 2: Wow, that was interesting. Look what I did? 265 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,040 Speaker 1: Well, done done, That's exactly right. 266 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 2: Well, that was a difficult experience, and so it was 267 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 2: very helpful. Okay, what are some signs that our bodies 268 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 2: are holding on to stress even though we think we've 269 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 2: moved on. 270 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I think I talked about some of these, 271 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: you know, being on alert. Yes, so like stomach aches 272 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: and physical symptoms, headaches, your neck is tight, it's all 273 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: the stuff that you know. When you feel yourself contracting, 274 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: it's a good sign that you're struggling. One of the 275 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: things we can do is to pay attention to notice 276 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: I am noticing that I'm clenching my hands. I am 277 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: noticing that my shoulders are inching up to my ear lobes. 278 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: I'm noticing that I feel really nervous in my body. 279 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: For example, if I've experienced a trauma like I was 280 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: in a car accident. In fact, this is real for me. 281 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: I was in a car accident as a teenager, and 282 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: I was okay, but it was a very scary experience. 283 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: And so sometimes when I'm on the interstate on I 284 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: have this moment of like, oh, no, something really bad 285 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: could happen. I could crush or we could crash. And 286 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: the first way I know that that I'm feeling anxious 287 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: is that I feel it in my chest. I feel 288 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: that tightness and that well, I'm not breathing deeply because 289 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: I'm remembering that thing that happened, and so then I 290 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: need to tend to myself. It was like, oh, I'm 291 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: feeling that right there, but I'm looking around. I'm safe, 292 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: We're okay. I am safe. I've driven this road many 293 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,439 Speaker 1: times and I've never been in an accident. So you 294 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 1: just remind yourself I'm safe here, my body can relax. 295 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 1: I'm okay. The other thing is I think this is 296 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 1: really commons in avoidance, we do a lot of numbing. 297 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: So the other way that I notice that I'm not 298 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: okay is when I'm on my phone and I'm scrolling 299 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: a lot and I look at the time has passed. 300 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: That to me is a sign that there might be 301 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: something that I need to stop and pay attention to. 302 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: There's a lot of admonitions in Scripture to be still, 303 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: and there's something really important about them. When we are still, 304 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: we have more capacity to hear from God, but also 305 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: to hear from ourselves. I'm moving around constantly, if I'm scrolling, 306 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: if I'm busy, busy, busy, those are ways of a 307 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:04,919 Speaker 1: war paying attention to what's happening in What some of 308 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: our resources talk about is that spending a few minutes 309 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: every day being still is really powerful, and you can 310 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: do that in so many different ways. But that being 311 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: still allows you to relax your body, and it gives 312 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 1: you a chance to tend to what your body is 313 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: telling you about how you're feeling and what you may 314 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: have experienced recently, or from others or from your phone 315 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: or your TV, but also a chance to listen to 316 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: how God might be speaking to you in that moment. 317 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 1: But that's that moment for you to regulate your nervous system. 318 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: If we're going to use those words, but basically to 319 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: calm down and allow your body to relax. 320 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 2: You're kind of of paying attention. That's good. I really 321 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 2: like that. Alrighty, we're going to take a break in 322 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 2: when we come back, we're going to talk about some 323 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 2: of the practical tools listeners can use when they feel overwhelmed, 324 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 2: because you're the plethora of resources I've noticed. Do you 325 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 2: like my word plethora? 326 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: A good one. 327 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 2: We'll be back in just a moment. Welcome back. We're 328 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 2: here with Rebecca and we are talking about trauma responses, grounding. 329 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: We've gotten some practical things sprinkled in, but I want 330 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 2: to get more practical if we can. When someone is 331 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,199 Speaker 2: feeling anxiety rising in the moment, what is one practical 332 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 2: thing that they can do right away. 333 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: I've already shared about grounding and noticing the world around you, 334 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: so I'm going to share a different one. Okay, this 335 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: is one that I love. It's an ancient Christian tradition 336 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: and it's a way of incorporating scripture and they're called 337 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: breath prayers. So you pick a phrase or a piece 338 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: of scripture, and you essentially breathe in saying that phrase 339 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: and then breathe out saying a corresponding phrase or something similar. 340 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 1: It's fun because it maybe that it's just a simple 341 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:25,199 Speaker 1: phrase like I am safe, God is with me, or 342 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:27,440 Speaker 1: it could be a piece of scripture. I love this 343 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: one because it speaks to breath. But like Job thirty three, 344 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: verse four says the Spirit of God has made me. 345 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,439 Speaker 1: So I'm breathing in and I'm saying the Spirit of 346 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: God has made me, and I'm feeling that in my body. 347 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: I'm feeling the breath in my body, and I'm hearing 348 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,639 Speaker 1: in my mind that the Spirit of God has made me. 349 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: And then I'm breathing out the breath of the Almighty 350 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: gives me life. Isn't that a great reminder? And you 351 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: just do that a few times, really slow, and you 352 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: can pick any verse or any phrase, but just slowing 353 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: yourself down and reminding yourself of God's faithfulness, his presence 354 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: with you, the truths that He shared with you. That's 355 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: a really practical, easy way to calm and to regulate yourself. 356 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 2: That's good because you could do it anywhere. Oh yeah, 357 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,439 Speaker 2: just as you needed. That's really good. Is there a 358 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 2: simple exercise or practice that listeners could begin to use today. 359 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: Yes, I want to recommend two things. Okay. The first 360 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: is personal. It's something you can do by yourself, you 361 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 1: could do it in a group. And it's deeply biblical. 362 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,679 Speaker 1: So the Traumahaling Institute and the Restoring Hope Ministry are 363 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,119 Speaker 1: at American Bible Society, So I'm going to go with 364 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 1: a biblical one. Yay. So lament is a deeply biblical 365 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 1: practice where you pour out your heart to God and 366 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: you tell God all the things that have gone wrong 367 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: and how upset you are about it, like all the 368 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: feelings that you're having, the bigger, the better, and you 369 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: say to God, how could you allow this to happen? 370 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:18,640 Speaker 1: And you're really honest about your inmost feelings and emotions 371 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: about what happened and what it meant to you, and 372 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:27,159 Speaker 1: then you invite God to come in and to be faithful. 373 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: David is the most famous of the lament writers in scripture, 374 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 1: but there are others, And lament is just this beautiful 375 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: practice that also happens to be a mental health best 376 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:42,360 Speaker 1: practice because it making sense of our experience, telling our story, 377 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: identifying the emotions that go along around it and making 378 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,959 Speaker 1: meaning of ours is that's like a mental health best practice, right, 379 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 1: like you would do that in therapy, et cetera. And 380 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: so it's so fun that this is a biblical practice 381 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,199 Speaker 1: and it's something that anyone can do today. So on 382 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 1: our website, we have a a supper website with resources, 383 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: but one of them is called Trauma Healingbasics dot org. 384 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: Trauma Healing Basics dot org and in it you'll see 385 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of resources, all completely free, and one 386 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,400 Speaker 1: of them is called Lament and it's a little booklet, 387 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: so it just walks you through like this is what 388 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: a lament is, and then here's how you could do 389 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: one yourself. Now you can pick up your Bible and 390 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: read some of the psalms and see you lament yourself. Right. 391 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: You can google search. But I love this resource because, 392 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: first of all, it's beautiful. It's kind of watercolor looking. 393 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,160 Speaker 1: It's very like soothing to look at, and it's very 394 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 1: simple and you can print it off and just keep 395 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: it with you and you can use it whenever you want. 396 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 1: And it's just an eight and a half by eleven 397 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: piece of paper. It's great. So I highly recommend it, 398 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: and it's a great practice mental health and biblical. So 399 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: that's the first one I'm going to suggest. The second 400 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,360 Speaker 1: thing I'm going to suggest is more along this sort 401 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: of soap box I've been on about community and relationship. 402 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: You know, we write, we think about trauma and hard 403 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: things and difficulty as something that we need to fix. Right, 404 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: it's just us and if we just get the right resources, 405 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: or if we just read the right book, or if 406 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: we just see the right therapist, everything will be fine. 407 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: But I, you know, the Shaunahaling Institute and I personally 408 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: really believe that God has created us to be in 409 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: community with one another, and literally, from our brains to 410 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: our hearts, we are designed to connect with one another, 411 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 1: and so finding safe places to connect with others is 412 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: something that everyone should do. It's it's it is We're 413 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: designed to heal in that way, to tell ourselves our 414 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 1: stories in a safe place. But it's really it's really important. 415 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,679 Speaker 1: So we have a couple of resources to kind of 416 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: make that practical. We have a small group curriculum that 417 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: people can learn to use. So some some folks listening 418 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: might want to help other people, and some folks listening 419 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 1: might be looking for a community to connect with, and 420 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: on our website Tramahealing Institute dot org. On our events page, 421 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: you can find either small groups that you could join. 422 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:14,919 Speaker 1: There's ones that are virtual, and there are ones that 423 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:18,199 Speaker 1: are taking place in person literally all over the world. 424 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 1: And there's also information about how to become how to 425 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: be trained to become a group facilitator. We have a 426 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: couple of different versions of our curriculum and some of 427 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 1: them are very easy to pick up and do training 428 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: and use. Some of them take a little bit more 429 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: in person training, but you can be trained to lead, 430 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: to facilitate small groups where people can have a safe 431 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: community and walk through what is trauma? How does it 432 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: affect me? What does God think about this stuff that's happened? 433 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: How can I heal? Taking my pain to Jesus and 434 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: ultimately diving into the issue of forgiveness either asking for 435 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 1: it or needing to receive it right And this our 436 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: curriculum is designed to facilitate that connection in a safe way, 437 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: and it's really designed for lay people in the church. 438 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:15,960 Speaker 1: You don't have to be a professional. It's just designed 439 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 1: for your Sunday school teacher to be able to train, 440 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: to be trained and to facilitate groups where people can 441 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: find this safety and this opportunity to share their story 442 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,200 Speaker 1: in a safe place and realize, oh, this terrible thing 443 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: happened to me, but I'm not alone. Not only was 444 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,360 Speaker 1: God with me in that painful experience, but actually there 445 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: are other people who have had bad things happen to them, 446 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: and God has given us an opportunity for healing together, 447 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: and it's really powerful. 448 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 2: I think this is excellent because I'm on staff at 449 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 2: a church and we frequently find out that the church 450 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 2: there's a stigma about mental health and that kind of 451 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 2: discussion in the church. So I'm so, so so glad 452 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 2: you've got these resources that can help people, and I 453 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,919 Speaker 2: just kudos to you for that from my perspective. 454 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: Good, I'm so glad. We did a survey in twenty 455 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: twenty three. We had one thousand pastors in the United 456 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: States respond and seventy six percent of fasts said that 457 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: trauma was a problem in their church and that they 458 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: needed something, but they just didn't know where to start. Only, 459 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,199 Speaker 1: like I think it was like fifteen or so percent 460 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: said they had some sort of ministry that addressed trauma. 461 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: So there's a big gap and I think as we're talking, 462 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 1: the whole reason we're having this conversation is that people 463 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: are in pain, and churches are meant to be safe 464 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: places for people, but often church leaders don't have the 465 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: tools that they need to make it easy to facilitate 466 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: these places for people to have a safe journey towards healing. 467 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 2: You were one hundred percent correct, that's true, and then 468 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,919 Speaker 2: my goodness, if you mishandle it, that's another thing into it. 469 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 2: So getting back to your well researched tools that I 470 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 2: just think that's excellent. I'm grateful for that. What's one 471 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 2: small step in for a listener today that might help 472 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 2: somebody move from the survival mode they're in to healing. 473 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: I think the one step that someone could take is 474 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: to reach out to someone that they know is safe 475 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:29,679 Speaker 1: and make that connection. I was recently reading about the testimony. 476 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: The greatest thing about my job is that I sit 477 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 1: in the seat where facilitators. There are about seventy thousand 478 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: facilitators around the world that use our curriculum in their 479 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: local church, and it's in one hundred and some languages, 480 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: and so people all over the world. But the story 481 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: comes from the US actually, and someone was saying that 482 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: they had facilitated, were offering a group in their church 483 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: and Wednesday night in the church basements. You know, it's 484 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 1: just like a normal small group Bible study. And they 485 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 1: just felt like they needed to invite their neighbor. And 486 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: they weren't on super good terms with their neighbor. Their 487 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: neighbor was a bit difficult, but they really kind of 488 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 1: felt the nudge from the Holy Spirit, and so they 489 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: invited their neighbor to this group where that they were 490 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: facilitating using our curriculum at their church. And it came 491 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: out over the course of the group that this woman 492 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: had planned to commit suicide. Oh my goodness, Yeah, that 493 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: she was in so much pain, and she didn't realize 494 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: that that pain came from the trauma that she had 495 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: experienced and she had nowhere to go with it, and 496 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: the church, this small group, first of all, became the 497 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: first place that she had an opportunity to tell about 498 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: the pain that she had experienced and the difficult thing 499 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: that had happened to her. And first she's like, oh, fine, 500 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: I'll just go and like check this thing out, and 501 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: but you know, I'm still planning on ending my life. 502 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: So she goes back the second week feeling the same way. 503 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: She goes back the third week and God begins to 504 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: work on her and she ends up hopeful, not obviously 505 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 1: not committing suicide, and really becoming a part of this 506 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: church community. So the one thing that a person could 507 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: do is reach out to someone who you know is 508 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 1: safe that you can talk to, or on the other hand, 509 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: reach out to someone who you think might be in 510 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: pain and invite them into a safe conversation. And we 511 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: have some great resources on that website that I mentioned, 512 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: Traumahalingbasics dot org that can help you have a safe 513 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: conversation with someone and can give you some really simple 514 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: steps for navigating those conversations. 515 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 2: I think that's so valuable. We're going to make sure 516 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 2: that we put all that information in the show notes 517 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 2: listeners if you want to reference these, because I think 518 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 2: some of these tools are really going to be invaluable. 519 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 2: So as we wrap up today's conversation, I want to 520 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 2: remind you of something that I think many of us 521 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 2: need to hear. You were never meant to read the 522 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 2: weight of the entire world. Caring deeply is a beautiful thing. 523 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 2: Compassion really is a gift from God. But compassion without 524 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 2: boundaries will eventually turn into exhaustion. So take care of yourself. 525 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 2: If you've been feeling overwhelmed lately, let this be your 526 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 2: permission slip to pause, as Rebecca said, just take a breath, 527 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 2: as she suggested, and putting down the things that God 528 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 2: never asked you to carry well, may indeed be broken, 529 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 2: but you're not responsible for fixing all of it. And 530 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 2: if there are parts of your own story that feel broken, 531 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 2: God's not overwhelmed by them either, and he's not asking 532 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 2: you to heal overnight. He's inviting you to take one 533 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 2: small step today, and healing often happens that way, not 534 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 2: all at once, but one faithful step at a time. 535 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 2: So remember today's truth. God meets us in trauma. He 536 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 2: is not just there to comfort us, but to restore 537 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 2: what was broken. So, friend, if the world has felt 538 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 2: especially heavy lately, I hope you'll remember this. You are 539 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 2: not weak, you're not failing, you're not behind, and you're 540 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 2: certainly not alone. God is with you right where you 541 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 2: are until next time. Remember that faith isn't just pretending 542 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,640 Speaker 2: that life isn't hard. It's about trusting that God's bigger 543 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 2: than whatever you're carrying and allowing him to carry some 544 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,479 Speaker 2: of that weight with us. Remember, we want you to 545 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 2: be able to live as one who has truly been separate.