Overcoming Trauma
Here is a true story that I came across and I wish to share it here. Elizabeth Smart is often referred to as “The girl that was kidnapped.” You see when she was 14 years old a man from the back woods broke into her home, kidnapped her, and raced straight out the back door and disappeared with her, way back into the mountains. When they arrived at his cabin, his wife washed her down, and then he declared the girl to be his new wife and then proceeded to act as her new husband. Some 9 months later she was discovered and rescued, and returned back to her family and this is the wise council and advice her mother gave her to steer and to guide her forwards and away from her very recent traumatic ordeal, that she had just endured.
She said, “Elizabeth, what these people have done to you is terrible, and there are not words strong enough to describe how wicked and evil they are. They have stolen 9 months of your life away from you that you will never get back. But the best punishment you could ever give them is to be happy, is to move forward with your life, is to do all the things that you ever want to do. Because by feeling sorry for yourself, by holding on to the past, by re-living in it, that’s only allowing them to steal even more of your life away from you, and they don’t deserve another single second more.”
Elizabeth moved on with her life and grew into a lovely woman, who has always tried to live by this great advice, she found her true companion, fell in love and raised a family, and is regularly a guest speaker at functions around the USA, encouraging people, and continues telling her story of victory over overwhelming adversity. So how bad has your life actually been? Are you going to “Throw in the Towel?” The comedian once said, “I threw in the towel, but GOD threw it straight back at me and said; Stand up, Wipe your face, you have just on Won!”
We all have a “Past” and that is where it should ever remain, and should always be consigned, and we should never let our past mess up our future, do not let it steal away from you another second of your time, you now have a brand new life, the past is gone and you cannot ever recover it, or un-do it, so do not try to re-live it, or let it mess up your bright new future. The Philosopher once said; “A Wise man learns from the mistakes of others, but a Fool has to learn for himself.” The fastest and safest way to the smoothest possible path is to fully accept a new life in Jesus Christ, and to live by his council and advice in scripture, walk daily with him and always let the Holy Spirit direct your steps into paths of Righteousness. There is abundant peace and contentment, abundant power to overcome by the Holy Spirit, who can also be your Councillor and Guide, so choose to serve God right now, today.
General William Booth wrote, “To change the future, we must first disturb the present!” Quinn Schipper prays this prayer daily; “Lord today let me be in the right place at the right time, doing the right things with the right people, for the sake of your Kingdom.” Jesus Christ was oppressed and “set up” regularly during his ministry about 2000 years ago, but he moved forwards, never harboured ill will or unkind feelings towards all the oppressors, and even on Calvary he prayed to his Father that they might come to repentance and forgiveness, he prayed for those that were before him, aggressively mocking him, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Luke 23:34.
One of the better ways forwards, is to cease living in the past, to forever break that hold over you, and to forgive everyone for their horrendous evil deeds towards you, as forgiveness gives you the very best method of healing, to break their hold over you, to then be able to then bundle up all the mess of hurt and grief, and to lock it all away in “Pandora’s Box,” to then put it away on some dusty shelf and to never go there ever more. For as Elizabeth’s Mother advised, “Because by feeling sorry for yourself, by holding on to the past, by re-living in it, that’s only allowing them to steal even more of your life away from you, and they don’t deserve another single second more.”
In closing, here is this wonderful advice; She said, “Elizabeth, what these people have done to you is terrible, and there are not words strong enough to describe how wicked and evil they are. They have stolen 9 months of your life away from you that you will never get back. But the best punishment you could ever give them is to be happy, is to move forward with your life, is to do all the things that you want to do. Because by feeling sorry for yourself, by holding on to the past, by re-living in it, that’s only allowing them to steal even more of your life away from you, and they don’t deserve another single second more.” Right now, move forwards in freedom and having an Abundant New Life, forever freed from the shackles and constraints of your undesirable past.
