Trauma = Exhaustion

​Isaiah 40:29 - He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

During the last few weeks, since a wildfire consumed my mother’s home and community, it has felt as if my mother and our family have been running a marathon.
 
If you’ve never gone through a wildfire or other natural disaster then it may be difficult for you to understand what someone goes through.
 

1. First there was the explosion of fear when I learned about the fire: Did it affect my mother’s street?
2. Then there was the explosion of loss of communication as I didn’t know where my mother was: Was she driving away escaping the flames?
3. There was the explosion of heart sickness as our family wondered if she made it out alive: We wondered if she was one of the numbers of those who died.
4. Once we found out she lived through it, there was the explosion of wondering if she lost everything and where she would stay while waiting to find out if she could return home: Which we didn’t know for at least a week.
5. Once we knew her home was gone, there was the explosion of questions she had as to what was she going to do next: Where was she going to live now that everything was gone? Could she keep the independent style she so wanted? So many are still in shelters and even tents. What about them?

 
My mother is more fortunate than others, because she has family to help her through it. And though we are ever grateful that she survived the wildfire, there has been an endless trail of paperwork to be completed for the insurance claim as well as applying for FEMA.
 
There has been canceling utilities and cable companies, changing her address to a P.O. Box and many other things which have to be taken care of. Just as she completed one part of the process another series of situations faced us.
 
It has been one thing after another and through it all, one thing surfaced: Exhaustion. Deep into your bones painful exhaustion.
 
My mom has been brave, but just as anyone who has survived a disaster would tell you, being on the edge of your seat in constant motion not only affects you emotionally but causes chronic health conditions to worsen.
 
In the midst of trying to complete all of the tasks required of the trauma victim, it’s important for them to take care of themselves. So how do we do that? Helpquide.org in their article, “Traumatic Stress – Dealing With Trauma After a Disaster or Disturbing Event,” provides traumatic stress signs and symptoms as well as suggestions on how to deal with it. Some of their ideas include realizing there’s no right or wrong way of dealing with it, avoiding obsessively reliving the event and reestablishing a new routine.
 
Though the life a trauma victim lived no longer exists, it is possible to create a new life and heal from the pain that was suffered. God is close by, also. Just as the Bible verse above says, he gives strength and increases the power of the weary and weak. He will also give them the wisdom they need to complete the tasks set before them. And remember, if you know someone who is a recent trauma victim; lend a helping hand and a listening ear. Healing and relief from exhaustion comes when we look out for each other.

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