When Jesus Steps Into the Wounds Trauma Leaves Behind

 

Charlotte grew up in a house where fear lived in every room. Her father drank heavily, and before he got sober, he whipped his children without reason. “If I whip one, I have to whip them all,” he’d say. Her mother feared him too — maybe more than the children. And one day, when Charlotte was in the second grade, her mother left and never came back.

Charlotte is in her early sixties now, but she told me her memories after her mother’s disappearance are blurry, like whole years of her childhood vanished. She’s carried that pain in her body and mind her entire adult life. So have her siblings. Trauma has a way of leaving fingerprints on a family, and they show up in places we never asked for or expected.

In her twenties, Charlotte started a family of her own. But without healing, she repeated what she knew. Her husband’s verbal abuse, the instability, the emotional exhaustion — it all echoed the life she grew up with. And today, her children are wrestling with many of the same emotional battles she once did.

Charlotte loves God. She prays. She serves her faith community. But she doesn’t believe in what some of us know deeply — that the Holy Spirit is still delivering, still healing, still breaking generational patterns today. “God doesn’t work that way anymore,” she said to me once. “Prayer brings comfort, but it can’t really restore anything.”

But Scripture tells us something different.

Romans 8:11 (NLT) says, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now dwells within us, bringing life, renewal, and divine power into places that once felt worn down or unreachable. Scripture reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that we don’t belong to ourselves; our bodies are His dwelling place and He desires a relationship that is personal, close, and healing.

He sees the parts of us that are still trembling from childhood. He sees the memories we lost on purpose. He sees the wounds we learned to function around. He wants to bring healing not to shame us, but because He loves us too much to leave us untouched by His presence.

Healing doesn’t erase the past. It doesn’t undo what happened. But Jesus has a way of stepping into the places trauma once claimed and breathing life where silence used to live.

Survivors don’t heal by willpower or by “trying harder.” We heal through safety, truth, the slow work of renewal, and the steady presence of God meeting us where we are — not where people think we should be.

Paul calls us to bring our whole selves to God — even the parts that shake, the parts that ache, and the parts we don’t talk about. Romans 12:1 (NLT) tells us, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” For a survivor, surrender is never about pretending the pain didn’t happen. It’s not about rushing forgiveness or skipping the hard work. It’s about trusting that God is gentle enough, strong enough, and present enough to walk us through healing without causing more harm.

Because the truth is still the truth: no one heals like Jesus heals. Trauma may wound the soul, but it never gets the final word. When Jesus steps into the places we’ve carried for years, He doesn’t rush us or shame us for what still hurts. He brings truth where lies once lived, safety where fear took root, and peace where chaos reigned. His healing reaches deeper than the memory, deeper than the reaction, deeper than the survival patterns we built just to make it through.

In His presence, what was once a place of pain becomes a place of restoration. Not because the past didn’t matter, but because His love is stronger than what tried to break us. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“When Jesus Steps Into the Wounds Trauma Leaves Behind”, written for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

You’ll Grow If You Listen to Correction

 

Proverbs 15:31–32 (NLT)
“31 If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. 32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.”

If I had truly taken this scripture to heart years ago—really grasped the weight of what it’s saying—there’s no telling where I’d be in the Lord right now. The very first words set the tone: “If you listen.” And for many of us, that’s the hurdle. Listening—really listening—is almost a lost art. Those three words remind us that we have a choice. We can receive constructive criticism, or we can shut it out. And let’s be honest: most people shut it out. In today’s culture, anything that doesn’t boost our ego or reinforce the image we’ve built of ourselves gets rejected quickly. Instead of making room for it in our hearts and minds, we push it away. Some of us refuse to even consider that when criticism is helpful, it can strengthen us. It can shape our spiritual growth, shift our perspectives, and help us adjust our attitudes and behaviors for the better.

Correction Comes Before Promotion

None of us are too fond of hearing that we can do things better or that our point of view on certain things isn’t matching reality. Even believers who’ve been walking with the Lord for years wrestle with that kind of truth. Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) reminds us, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” One of the things that will help us digest constructive criticism is to know that when we’re about to move to the next level of growth and blessing, correction is a necessary step. Whenever God is getting ready to elevate us—to stretch us, bless us, and widen our capacity—correction shows up first. It’s one of the ways He lets us know it’s time to release old habits, old mindsets, and old ways of responding so we can make room for blessings that actually fit where He’s taking us next.

Learning to Release What God Never Meant You to Carry

Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” The race God has set before us is lifelong—there’s no finish line on this side of eternity. As long as we’re on this earth, our Heavenly Father instructs us to let go of anything that weighs us down.

The challenge is that we’re not always aware of the things we’re carrying. Some weights feel normal simply because we’ve held them for so long. This is where constructive criticism becomes a gift. It points out the burdens we’ve ignored, avoided, or become blind to, and it directs our hearts toward the path God wants us to take.

Wisdom is a great teacher, but it rarely comes wrapped in comfort. God sends it because He wants us to grow in Christ and become more like Him. And very often, that wisdom comes through correction. Proverbs 9:9 (NLT) tells us, “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” In other words, you’ll grow if you listen to correction—your understanding deepens, your character strengthens, and your walk with God becomes more grounded. The sharpness of criticism usually reveals how important that correction truly is.

When we reject correction, we’re only hurting ourselves. We give off a message—loud and clear—that pride is calling the shots, and pride will always keep us from God’s best. None of us want to be that person. Our Father wants His children to flourish, and one of the ways He prepares us to receive what He has for us is through constructive criticism. It stretches us, shapes us, and positions us to reach further than we could have reached on our own. That’s why listening to correction isn’t just about humility—it’s about stepping into the life God designed for us.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“You’ll Grow If You Listen to Correction”, written for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Our Great Big Wonderful God!

 

Remembering the God We Believe In

It usually starts small. A few restless nights. A nagging ache that won’t go away. Then one thing turns into another—fatigue, discomfort, worry creeping in where peace used to sit. Before long, your body is trying to tell you something isn’t right. So you do what most of us would do. You make an appointment and go see the doctor.

After listening, checking, and asking a few questions, the doctor gives you an answer. There’s relief in finally knowing what’s wrong and even more relief in hearing, “This is treatable. You’re going to be okay.” You walk away grateful—thankful for the knowledge, the care, and the reassurance. Without much thought, you might even say it out loud: Doctors really are wonderful.

And yet, isn’t it interesting how easily we trust that kind of care, but still hesitate when it comes to trusting our Heavenly Father? We celebrate human help quickly, but sometimes question divine goodness slowly. Somewhere along the way, we forget who He is. God is not uncertain. He is not guessing. He is not limited. He is—and always has been—a great big wonderful God.

Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes the downs feel especially heavy. But one truth remains steady: God is always willing and able to help us. When we look at the lives of God’s people in the Old Testament, we see this pattern clearly. Again and again, they struggled to remain obedient. God’s desire was never control—it was protection. He wanted to bless them, keep them safe, and walk closely with them.

When God’s People Wander

Still, they often turned away. God warned them not to worship false gods, knowing where that path would lead, but they didn’t listen. Judges 2:11–13 (NLT) tells us, “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.”

The God Who Steps In Again

And yet—this is where God’s goodness shines—He did not abandon them. Just as He had done many times before, God forgave His people and stepped in to help them again. He raised up leaders and judges to guide them back to safety and truth. Judges 2:18 (NLT) says, “Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.”

This is the heart of our great big wonderful God. Even when His people failed, He remained faithful. Even when they wandered, He responded with mercy. God didn’t help them because they earned it—He helped them because mercy and faithfulness are part of His nature. He does not stop being God, even when His people fall short.

When Our Souls Need Care

It’s important for us to carry real gratitude for how patient our Heavenly Father is with us. The truth is, some of us need spiritual care more than we’d like to admit. Our souls grow weak when we stop feeding them a steady diet of God’s Word. Little by little, unhealthy thoughts, disobedience, and old habits start taking up space. But God is never caught off guard by any of it. He sees what’s going on beneath the surface, and through His Spirit, He knows exactly what needs healing and what needs to change.

God never asks us to heal ourselves or get everything right before coming to Him. He simply asks us to come. Scripture reminds us, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love” (Psalm 103:8, NLT). This is the heart of our great big wonderful God—patient when we are weak, gentle when we are worn, and faithful even when we struggle. We don’t have to hide our flaws or pretend we’re fine. We can bring our tired souls, our missteps, and our need for care to a Father who knows how to tend the heart. And as He feeds us with His truth and walks with us in love, we don’t just get through life—we are restored by the goodness of the God who never stops reaching for us. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Our Great Big Wonderful God!”, written for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2026. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.