Surviving TraumaSýnishorn

There’s so much life to be lived beyond trauma. Although paralyzing at times, there is hope. There are resources available to veterans and veterans’ relatives. It takes continued effort to move beyond the pain that’s maintained control of our thoughts and behaviors. But the effort, realization, and acceptance create hope for a better future.

King David’s testament in Psalm 30, paints a spectacular picture of hope when all seemed lost. “I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And you healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave” (Psalm 30:1-3).

In my 6 years in the US Navy, I flew just under 1000 hours with countless mission sets. Many were pretty “standard” from a military standards perspective, but there were plenty that brought fear and traumatic experiences. I experienced several close calls with crashes and mishaps, plus lost several friends and teammates. Over years and effort, I’ve learned to not stuff my thoughts anymore; I talk about them and continually grow in my walk with Jesus.

There will always be difficulties in our lives. There will always be world conflict, division, politics, and triggers. But the more effort we take to retrain our thoughts and feelings, the more equipped we are to face the future.

Isaiah 40:31 says that putting our hope in the Lord will provide our much-needed relief in transferring the difficulties and distractions to Him. God is so much bigger than the trauma that we’ve faced, but it doesn’t minimize the pain we deal with. Putting our complete hope in Him helps us release that pain so we can enjoy life again. There is so much life to live, but only through God will we be able to fully embrace His promise.

Daily Journal

Thank you for having the courage to seek His wisdom and guidance in your life. Make journaling a habit as you continue to walk out God’s unique plan for you. Today, thank the Lord for the things He has blessed you with and write down what a future of hope beyond trauma looks like for you.

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Brian Dickinson’s miracle on Mount Everest and details of his military experiences are captured in his book, Blind Descent. To learn more about the book and for other resources visit http://briandickinson.net