Soul-Wound Tsunamis: How to Manage the Rushing Waters of Trauma

                  Tsunamis can occur for a variety of reasons, but the outcomes are the same: devastation. Overbearing waters produce the necessity for survival and a cry for dry land. Our souls are no different when they face the rushing waters that trauma produces.

Soul-Wound Tsunami

                  This past weekend I played tennis. It was supposed to be a fun time; however, the tsunami started rising when I missed the easiest ball ever (truly!). From there I missed several more and the next thing I know the “need to prove your worth” tsunami had slammed into me with no dry land in sight. Each wave brought its own impact: you’re worthless, not good enough, should’ve done better, a disappoint.

                  I recognize this may appear as a mundane reason to be upset enough to experience the tsunami of soul-wounds. It’s tennis! I am not out to win the U.S. Open or even a state title. It was literally a Sunday Funplay. But for me, in that moment, it was a need for perfection, to prove my worth which only fueled the distressing waves.

                  These soul-wounds are not because of tennis. These soul-wounds are because of trauma. These are deep cuts within my soul that open at the most inopportune times. I cannot always reason why they occur when they do; I can only speak to the pain they cause.

                  Like me, you may be facing soul-wound tsunamis. They may be crashing into you before you even know they are coming. They leave a wake of devastation: negative thoughts, spiraling thoughts, irritability, anger, sadness, and more. It can feel overwhelming and unmanageable. However, devastation does not have to be the end of the story.

Managing the Rushing Waters

1)        Acceptance

We often attempt to not think on what we are experiencing. We just want it to go away. But not accepting the reality of our circumstances does not make the water recede; in fact, it makes it stronger and deeper.

When we accept that we have soul-wounds and they are pulsing, we allow ourselves to keep our heads above water. The harder we try to fight against the feelings, thoughts, etc., the more we find ourselves drowning in them. Once we accept the waves we are experiencing, we can navigate the traumatic waters before us.

2)        Navigating

Navigating the rushing waters of negative thoughts and painful feelings seems futile. We often try to evade it because we do not want to face our trauma, our pain; however, evading it does not keep the waves from crashing over us.

One way to navigate the tsunami of soul-wounds is to recognize them. When we give language to our pain, we allow ourselves to see the tsunami coming, prepare for it, and shelter from it. As Dan Siegal states, “Name it to tame it.” Additionally, our life rafts when we face these waters are truths. Truths formed from God spoken over us will help us survive the waters before us as we navigate the rising waves.

3)        Perseverance

Our soul-wounds can produce siren songs of worthlessness, perfectionism, inadequacy, and more. To battle this, we need to anchor ourselves to truths. The truths found in the solid foundation of God’s word. 

Because of the traumas we have experienced, our truths might be, “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t belong,” “I’m worthless,” “I have to be perfect,” etc. These are well-paved neural waters our brains may be accustomed to swimming in. But if we want a different outcome, we also must choose to do something, thinking something different.

The first question to consider is where is any of the negative statements we are hanging onto in scripture? Does God ever speak this to us or of us? No! Therefore, we need to cling to life-giving preserves!  

Here are the truths we can hold to when the soul-wound tsunamis come:

Negative beliefs                                                                    Truths

I am not good enough I matter; I am valuable

Psalm 139:13-14; 1 Peter 2:9; Romans 3:23: Ephesians 2:4

I don’t belong I belong; I have purpose

Galatians 4:7; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 1:9

I’m worthless I have value/significance

Matthew 10:29-31; John 3:16; 1 John 3:1

I have to be perfect Perfect does not exist; I can accept me as I have been created to be

Genesis 1:27; James 1:17-18; Colossians 3:15

Through practicing the truths of God, we build new neural pathways that allow us to remain safe from the crashing waves. We may do this through reading these truths daily, memorizing scripture to support the truths, or meditating on them. Additionally, it is okay to seek help from a trusted professional to help us overcome the negative waters we traverse. All of this will provide us opportunities to stand firm against the deep waters that can hold us captive.

Final Thoughts

Soul-wound tsunamis are not easy to battle. They are deep and can arise out of nowhere it seems. However, when we accept what we are experiencing, we can secure ourselves to the solid foundation of God’s word to persevere the crushing waves. In these moments, we can experience Jesus’ power as he rebukes those very waves exclaiming “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39).