Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: EQUALITY (08/17/23)
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TITLE: Help Wanted: Equal Trauma Required | Previous Challenge Entry
By Linda Lawrence
08/23/23 -
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I’ve introduced you to two troubled people God has put into my life—Camilla and Paula (who prefers the name Bambi) through previous stories: *Self-Loathing, *Pain Killer, *Probation Conditions, and* Love That Will Not Let Go.
Camilla’s faith is strong; Paula’s is weak. Both of them are in very poor health and need walkers to get around. Both need caregiver help and live on disability payments.
Camilla has experienced much abuse and trauma but she loves to tell stories of God’s powerful interventions—and healing that comes through forgiveness. She longs to write those stories but crippled hands and lack of computer, plus ongoing trauma and difficulty concentrating . . . well, you get the picture.
Paula is stuck in her story of being abused and traumatized, unable to let tomorrow be different from the past. She writes lists of all that is unfair in her life. Lack of equality is her big complaint against God. “Why can other people have a husband and children? Why am I garbage?” She pushes me away as lacking credibility because I have what she does not. “I want to talk to a counselor, someone who has been traumatized! Someone who will understand!”
I think of Camilla, traumatized, yet full of compassion and godly wisdom. I’ve prayed and hoped they could be friends. In the last three years I’ve managed to get the two of them together twice and they liked and listened to each other during those visits. I asked Camilla to spend time with Paula but Camilla doesn’t have the physical strength or emotional energy.
Therefore I committed to finding and paying for counseling sessions with a Christian professional counselor. However, rules for confidentiality and required personal information and Paula’s distrust of everyone led to a dead end.
A wise, godly, traumatized friend would have more credibility with Paula anyway. If Camilla could only . . .
Camilla phoned me this week, sobbing, asking for prayer. Her kitty was sick. I asked the Lord to breathe health into the kitty for Camilla’s sake and left it in God’s hands.
The next day I had a distraught phone message. The vet’s bill was $400 but Camilla had no money. Could I help? Augh!
Lord! Spending Your money for counseling is one thing, but money for a cat is something else . . . isn’t it? Obviously, I’m not an animal person and to my shame, compassion is not my strong suit. What should I do?
I emailed Camilla: Many months ago I told the Lord I was willing to pay out of pocket for Paula to see a counselor. Yesterday she was begging me again to help her find someone who has been traumatized to help her understand her life. You want to tell your story to help other traumatized people gain healing. You keep saying you want to write the story, but have not yet had the strength or resources to get the story down on paper.
However, you are the one person I know whose story can benefit Paula. I’ve seen the patience you have for listening to Paula tell her story over and over. I know you have been WILLING but have not felt you had the ENERGY to be involved with Paula.
But we could ask the Lord to give you enough energy to spend an hour or two with Paula for 7 or 8 sessions and you will have earned $400.
Paula will be with me tomorrow and you could start then. Pray about it and let me know what the Lord tells you.
Camilla’s response: “I’ll try if God gives me the strength.”
They spent two hours in my living room with the Holy Spirit. I stayed away so they had privacy. When Camilla did call me into the room she was glowing. “We want to meet weekly.”
Taking them home, they hugged as sisters, both children of our Heavenly Father. Camilla was ecstatic about sensing the Lord reminding her of scripture stories that might help Paula make sense of her life—starting in the Garden of Eden. She was also amazed at how energized she felt! I know they will be a blessing to each other and am so thankful that God brought all of us together at this time. AT LAST Paula has met an equal trauma sufferer who lives with hope! May they both be empowered by the Holy Spirit’s counsel.
*Self-Loathing | Previous Challenge Entry | FaithWriters
*https://www.faithwriters.com/wc-article-level4-previous.php?id=58900
*Probation Conditions | Previous Challenge Entry | FaithWriters
*https://www.faithwriters.com/wc-article-level4-previous.php?id=62777
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