New Beginnings After Trauma

“Look for the silver lining!” Isn’t that what people tell you while you’re in the midst of or after you’ve been through a trauma or experienced a loss? It’s a simple cliché, often said as an automatic response when people don’t really know what to say to you in your time of despair.

While it might be said without a lot of thought and even sound a little bit cheesy, there is some truth to it. If you look often enough, you can find positives in every situation, even life-altering ones. Trauma, though it can be incredibly excruciating and horrific while you’re going through it, can also provide you with beautiful opportunities and some hopeful byproducts.

Trauma can bring you peace

Did you have to read that twice? No, it’s not a misprint. Trauma, though it seems counterintuitive, can provide you with a sense of peace, especially if your trauma was brought on by something you feared.

Why? Because that thing you feared, that made you tense, that you dreaded happened, and you lived through it. Now, little inconveniences like the traffic jam on the way home from work or having to tackle a pile of dirty dishes may not seem like that big of a deal.

In the face of trauma, you can gain strength. This strength, while cluttered with scars, gives you the peaceful sense that you can overcome anything that life hands you. That hard outer shell that grows as you sustain hits and live through the chaos also gives you the confidence that you can survive and may increase resilience.

Having gone through the worst-case scenario can feel like rock bottom. In the midst of the divorce, the illness of a loved one, or the bankruptcy proceedings, you’re busy and distracted. You may be stressed because of the unknown, or sometimes because you know what the likely outcome is and you’re having a difficult time accepting it.

Once you’ve begun to process, there can be peace in knowing that the worst has happened and is not likely to happen again. Yes, it is likely difficult to overcome the emotions of the trauma in the aftermath, but the anticipation of danger can be subsided or vanish.

Trauma begs you to prioritize

When you’re going through a big life event, you begin to see what is truly important and what is frivolous. You see who will stand with you as you go through the valley and who is just a surface, fair-weathered friend. You may begin to notice what brings you peace and what causes you stress.

Once you learn these things about yourself and the world around you, you can begin to remove the things, activities, and relationships that may be resulting in a negative impact on your life. After trauma, you will see what areas of your life you want to focus on in the future, and you can eliminate those things that are not serving you.

Trauma allows for ministry

It is not common that many can empathize as well as someone who has personally gone through the fire. While you can be an effective disciple and ambassador for Christ before you ever go through a major life-changing event, having first-person knowledge of a situation may provide you with more empathy and practical knowledge.

The trauma you endured was horrific, and yet God has a way of turning our tragedies into beauty. The scars you’ve developed are a testimony to others as you show that they can get through the battles they’re facing. You can use your practical knowledge and your in-depth familiarity with the emotions you’ve endured to speak peace into someone else’s life.

You will learn how to love others well. You will learn the kind gestures and practical help that others offered that helped you, and what you lacked, so that you can love others in need in the most effective ways.

Trauma prepares you

Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you’ll never go through another major life-altering event? Unfortunately, one of the only certainties we have in life is change. While we aren’t promised a life free of stress, having gotten through a trauma does show you how to handle future trauma.

Once you’ve been through something big, you have the opportunity to learn about yourself. You will know if being alone in your misery is more beneficial than being distracted by people. You will know if funny cat videos are enough to bring a smile to your face or if you need a weekend getaway. You will know what Scriptures bring the most peace and which people to go to in times of trials.

Trauma causes you to learn about yourself in ways that you cannot learn any other way. And with that unique perspective that you now possess, you are more prepared for future tragedy. Once you experience another major life moment, you will have armor.

Trauma draws you closer to God

When you’re going through trials, an effective way of coping is to seek outside help. And for many people, that outside help comes from God. When things are going great, you might not think about talking to God, thanking Him for his goodness, or relying on Him for things that you can do yourself. But when that security and confidence get shaken, it’s natural to turn toward stability and strength.

When you are at the bottom of the valley, the only place you can look is up. God is there to hear your cry, to comfort you in your murmurs, and to extend His hand to you in your time of need. While we should keep an active relationship with God, life sometimes becomes a distraction. Sometimes it takes a trauma to help us recognize our need for God. Sometimes it takes a life-altering event to draw us back to Him.

Trauma shows you where you need help

In the good times, we may feel completely self-sufficient and able to care for our own emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. But even in those moments, we might have suppressed negative emotions that are eating at us under the surface. Trauma brings those hidden feelings out into the open.

While the emotions can be painful, they call you to action. They beg you to seek professional help to gain some relief. A mental health specialist can help you through your trauma, explore things from your past that might be contributing to your current mental health issues, and teach you skills to help you through future obstacles.

Trauma forms new healthy habits

If lifestyle choices have contributed to your trauma, going through this major event can help you restructure your life. Maybe you change your eating habits and eliminate unhealthy foods because of a health scare. Maybe trauma has inspired you to fight an addiction or add exercise to your routine.

Trauma may prompt you to find a healthy church family to help your spiritual growth. It may inspire you to reconcile a broken relationship, so you don’t have to walk through the rest of your life alone.

By going through traumatic events, you begin to see your own patterns more clearly and how they contribute to your life. If a loved one is diagnosed with diabetes, for example, it puts a spotlight on your own eating habits. If someone you care about gets arrested, it might highlight some of your own reckless behavior. And with this awareness, you can make healthy choices, break unhealthy habits, and restructure your life in a way that serves you better.

Trauma is an opportunity for new beginnings

No one wishes to go through trials, but it’s a natural part of our human experience that no one can escape. What you choose to do with the effects of trauma and how you choose to continue living your life is what will help you succeed and strengthen or falter.

If you’re going through a trauma right now, be encouraged that God is near. Whatever you’re going through was not a surprise to Him, and He is there, with open, loving, and compassionate arms to welcome you into His presence.

When this is over and the obstacle is gone, you can rest assured that even in the midst of horrible pain, there really is a silver lining. You can experience the total, immersive love of Your Heavenly Father and carve out a new, beautiful life with His guidance.

Call and make an appointment with a Christian counselor who can help you discover your new beginning after trauma.