Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after very stressful, frightening or distressing event(s), or after a prolonged traumatic experience. With the COVID pandemic causing work loss, de facto homeschooling, loved ones dying isolated from family, BLM protests against high profile police killings, rise in Anti-Asian Hate violence, mass shootings, the insurrection at the nation's Capitol, the list can go on but you get the idea, we all have been profoundly impacted by the signs of our times. Life is already stressful enough. Add trauma causing events, nothing good can come of it. Many are expressing depression, sleepless nights, eating disorders, anxiety and borderline paranoia. All signs of PTSD. So what to do? Why would God let this happen to us? Well Jesus is always someone we should look to for care. And Jesus did just that after Resurrection Sunday, when he appeared to his disciples, who likely were feeling PTSD post-resurrection.

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‍From John 20:19-23,1. Find safe place to heal. The disciples were likely having PTSD, they locked themselves in the upper room where Jesus appeared to them (v.19)

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2. Accept that trauma changes your life forever. Even Jesus showed his scars to the disciples. Jesus was traumatized when he was tortured and crucified. (v.20)

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‍3. Answer God's call to help others to heal, to spread the gospel to the "traumatized." Their story is our story. (v.21-23).

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Close: Our healing comes by healing others. Wounded healers. Isaiah 58:6-9a ‍

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Big Idea: God has a purpose on the other side of trauma.