PART 4 - INSTILLING THE TRUTH

Instilling The Truth

A Still Small Voice

My heart is heavy. My vision blurred.

My body feels like a cement block.

My breathing is labored.

The darkness of despair presses in on me.

I no longer see the light.

I’m dying.

I’m dying physically. I’m dying emotionally. I’m dying spiritually.

I’m numb. I feel nothing. I close my eyes. I wait. I have a strange peace knowing I will not see morning, and I’m glad.

Out of the darkness, I hear a whisper in my ear. “Mother, it’s me, your daughter. I love you. I understand you cannot bear this pain. It’s OK to go if you must. I will be OK. I will trust God with my life. You do not have to worry. I know. I understand. It’s OK.”

I felt a sweet kiss on my cheek and something slipped under my pillow. The silence comes again. I pull this from under my pillow and read it.

Isaiah 41: 28 - 31

“Hast though not known that the everlasting God, the Lord, fainteth not, neither is weary?  He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no strength. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”

At this moment… my world would be changed forever.

I realized I hadn’t lost EVERYTHING.

I realized what I still had and its MASSIVE VALUE.

An unselfish, unconditional love was bestowed on me by my dear daughter I couldn’t deny.

It would become my life’s greatest lesson.

 

I BEGAN TO PRAY…

Dear God,

Please forgive me for not cherishing what remains. Take my heart and make with it what you may. If you take me tonight, give me peace and assurance and take care of my family. If you let me live, I will serve you and be the best mother you can make me. I will live and love as if I’d never been broken. I will never look back. I’m truly yours forever.

Then I closed my eyes and feel into a deep sleep.

A New Day Dawns Healing Religious Trauma

A New Day Dawns

The sun shone through the blinds right into my eyes and woke me.

I looked around and realized it was morning and I was still here.

My thoughts began to race. I’m going to live. But how?

  • How will I support myself alone? 
  • How will I ever recover my health and strength?
  • What will my life look like now?

And then I heard a voice. A “still small voice” behind me, saying

BE INSPIRED.

STAND STRONG.

PASS IT ON.

I didn’t know for certain what those words meant but I did know the grief that consumed me wasn’t going to take my life.

I knew I was going to live and go down a path I’d never known before.

A path full of promises of

👉 inspiration, 👉 strength,  and 👉 service.

A sure path that was designed especially for me, my daughter, my whole family, and those I would serve. I needed nothing else but those words.

I crawled out of bed, across the floor, and to the bathroom to wash my face. I showered and dressed, and though weak, trembling, and shaky, started my new life.

Inspiration

An Inspired Journey

I believe that all true healing and transformation begins with INSPIRATION.

Inspiration directly from God to us individually. It’s what FINALLY gave me true motivation and got me out of bed that day. It’s something to shout about when this happens after a lifetime of the wrong kinds of motivation surrounding my behaviors and relationships.

Direct inspiration and sincere motivation opened my eyes and set me free. With these things in place, I began to see a clear path filled with correct principles, a plan of salvation that made sense, and a God whose character, methods, and love touched my heart in ways I’d never known.

My experiences became genuine, and my connections were authentic, leading to a real transformation in my life. These things then gave me a new and meaningful mission and purpose.

Later, in my work as a Life Coach, I guided people through the same process I went through, celebrating each milestone along the path with them. The experience for me started with unraveling my trauma, then as my journey progressed, I began instilling the truths God was teaching me, and then He and I created a new story for my life.

I learned how to plug into the TRUE SOURCE of Love, Light, and Power and unplug from the FALSE SOURCE of deception, falsehoods, and misrepresentations. I began to apply the correct principles in my life.

Finally, the inside parts of me aligned with my actual life and experiences.

This is the outcome of true transformation.

No longer did I feel like an imposter inside.

This process gave me the freedom I had always envisioned for my life. I was now truly free.

Free indeed!

Debra Shafer

Becoming A True Student

"When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

Life is truly our “Education Book” and anything and all things in our lives are our teachers. When the “trauma patterns” began to heal, and I became a “true student,” God began helping me to see just how many teachers I really had all around me. How He had already made provision for me.

The “Life Experiences” and the “Divine Appointments” came one after another in quick succession in various shapes and forms.

And now, 10 years after my true healing journey began, I just expect it.

I look for it.

I expect people to show up in my life right on time.

I expect circumstances to arise right on time.

I expect the “lesson of trials” to appear right on time.

I expect God’s tender care to emerge right on time.

God has used so many people and circumstances in my life to teach me and help me grow and help me heal.

And He’ll do it for you too!

When we go through life with “Our Eyes Wide Open” we will see ALL He has ordained for us. We will truly be filled with “His Abundance” in every way. We will begin to understand “that great mystery” of His Merciful Loving-Kindness for us… personally.

 “All trials that are received as educators will produce joy.”  E.G. White

STEPS TO RECOVERY Healing Religious Trauma

The Healing Process

The path to healing from religious trauma is individual and can vary greatly. Please understand there is not one way that heals all. We are unique beings with different experiences and needs. The path I'm sharing is my own. It has been traveled successfully by many people. To make it helpful to people I've organized it into different encounters, events, and adventures that I've called, "HEALING RELIGIOUS TRAUMA: AN EXPERIENCE PATH TO A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD."

This healing adventure looks like this:

There are 3 DEFINITE & VISIBLE PILLARS to recognize in the process of healing from religious trauma.

A thorough healing experience addresses all 3 PILLARS.

1. UNRAVEL THE TRAUMA

This is where we start. We must unravel the false concepts and ideas with grace, love, & mercy for all. In this part of the journey, we are seen, heard, understood, and supported. Our motivation is clear and inspired. We become aware of our trauma patterns and their purpose in our survival and we discover the basis and foundation of true freedom.

2. INSTILL THE TRUTH

Next, with our eyes wide open, we see who God truly is and who He isn’t and tap into an ancient lost language that will bring us into direct contact with God’s Unconditional Love. We see a direct, tangible, and real connection to God as we learn how to instill the correct principles that govern our lives and see the actual methods & techniques Jesus used with individuals.

3. CREATE A NEW STORY

This part of the path to healing is a direct result and the next natural step of unraveling the trauma and instilling the truth. As we cultivate and co-create with God a pure transformation, our experiences become more genuine and our connections more authentic. Then, as we heal and show up in the world more aligned, we gain access to our natural gifts, talents, and skills, which then change the course of history and our story, making it possible to answer our life calling and mission.

There are 12 MARKED & EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE MILESTONES to experience in the process of healing from religious trauma.

While it appears to be a straight and organized healing path, in reality, it’s never that simple. These 12 MILESTONES below are visited over and over again, and not always in this specific order.

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ZOOM OUT

So you see, healing from religious trauma is a journey with Pillars, Milestones, and various Trail Markers along the way. It’s not an easy journey but a thrilling one worth pursuing.

In this small book, there isn’t room to go into depth on the healing process I experienced and teach to others. That’s not the purpose of this book.

But, if you’re interested in walking this path yourself, using the method I outlined here, you’ll find the information you’ll need at the end of these online book episodes, which includes finding others on the same path.

The healing experiences I’ve created will help you unravel your religious trauma story, instill the truth, and create a new story for your life.

Now, as promised, I’d like to end by telling a story that may represent YOU right now or YOU in the future.

It’s called “THE TALE OF TWO BELIEVERS” and sums up the entire process of true transformation.

How it looks from the 👉 beginning to the end 👈, including everything in the “messy middle.”

It’s the tale of my journey, distilled and condensed.

From then 👉 “insecure victim” to “brave warrior” 👈 (soldiers/soldaderas).

It begins with the story of Martha and Mary, two very different sisters. Then it converges into “two archetypes,” Martha Lynn and Mary Jo (names changed to protect the innocent) who define the beginning and the end of the journey of “healing from religious trauma.”

This story will bring together everything you’ve read so far. It reveals the entire process I went through and is intended to give courage to those just stepping onto the path of “true” transformation for themselves. If that’s you, turn to the next chapter. Enjoy!

KEY CHAPTER TAKEAWAY #1

When experiencing “the dark night of the soul” God comes to us with direct inspiration. He sees us. He hears us. He understands us. He supports us. 

KEY CHAPTER TAKEAWAY #2

True healing and transformation begins with INSPIRATION!

KEY CHAPTER TAKEAWAY #3

The right motivation naturally follows direct inspiration from God.

KEY CHAPTER TAKEAWAY #4

Awareness and understanding of the defense mechanisms (trauma patterns) we use to survive sets us free!

KEY CHAPTER TAKEAWAY #5

As we participate in real transformation our experiences become more genuine and our connections more authentic.

KEY CHAPTER TAKEAWAY #6

As we heal and show up in the world more authentically, we gain complete access to our natural gifts, talents, and skills, making it possible to answer our life call and mission.

KEY CHAPTER TAKEAWAY #7

A thorough healing experience consists of addressing all three of these areas: Unraveling The Trauma, Instilling The Truth, and Creating A New Story.