"Trauma"

It’s not the buckin’ horse that hurts,

It’s when you hit the ground,

The trauma of old gravity,

At least that’s what I’ve found.

When old toro does his tap dance,

On your body or your head,

The wreck can be traumatic,

At the rodeo it’s said.

And even workin’ cattle,

Those husseys can be mean,

Kick or run you over,

The worst you’ve ever seen.

It all can make you gimpy,

Notice cowboys who’ve got old,

The way they move and walk about,

Those joint their stories told.

And we all have our trauma,

Our injuries and such,

The worst may not be physical,

Deep inside is what they touch.

And sometimes we ignore ‘em,

Or say that they don’t matter,

But they can cause us problems,

Such talk is only chatter.

People try to medicate,

The trauma that they feel,

React out of their bitterness,

The injuries are real.

But Good News for the traumatized,

Jesus gives us grace,

Not just to forgive us,

But to heal that wounded place.

By His stripes He does it,

And you can count on this,

He knows how to make it go,

So see that you don’t miss,

The blessing that He died to give,

He heals life’s injury,

So we can cowboy up and go,

He gives us victory.

“He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 2:24, NIV)

Jesus died for our sins and there’s no doubt about it. But His redemptive work on the cross is not limited to paying the price for our sinful choices. He died to remove everything that sin does to us. Every wound, injury, injustice, abuse and trauma are included. He died to heal us and energize us to forgive as freely as we have been forgiven. Many Christians struggle desperately with the guilt of unforgiveness, but simply cannot figure out how to let their pain go. The more they have been hurt, the harder it is to get there. But then healing grace comes in and heals us! This is the key to forgiving others. We will always remember the trauma, but it no longer triggers the same pain and anger. By His stripes!

Lord, heal us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tyler Crow, used by permission. Thanks, Tyler, and God bless you.