On behalf of the 63d RD,
Facing Our Giants to Heal
A good title to start a sermon is often: Facing Giants In The Land, and then I’d go on and talk about the exterior giants that we face every day that we have to overcome as did David, the Shepherd in the Bible against Goliath. David had to overcome his size, his lack of armor, and his inferior weapon against what was by sight a superior foe in size, training, armor, and weaponry. Yet David did just that and was able to kill a foe that by all odds should have won over David.
Sometimes it is much easier to overcome our foes that are all around us, but it is a much different story when we have to face the giants within us. Yet, it is that foe within us that must often be faced in order to heal. We carry around with us lots of wounds that others cannot see, but we see, and feel them, and watch them fester within us as we try to ignore them hoping they will just go away, but they don’t. They instead grow to be the giants within us. These kinds of giants need us to be as brave as David was facing his giant. Other people can’t do this for us. It is something we have to do for ourselves in order to start the healing process for our soul injuries.
“Soul Injuries are a spectrum of wounds that range from traumatic to insidious. Traumatic Soul Injuries occur in the aftermath of trauma if the person develops feelings of being defective, inadequate, or unworthy. These kinds of injuries come from un-mourned loss and hurt, unforgiven guilt and shame, and diminished self-compassion.” (Opuspeace.org>About-Soul-Injury)
I guess a better title for this writing may be: Facing Our Souls In Order To Heal. Why do we need to work through our trauma by facing it? Well, trauma is often stuck within us because we were unwilling to face and work through loss, grief, hurt, and shame when it happened, but like giants, these things don’t away but instead taunt us from within much like the exterior giant that David faced. David’s giant, Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 is recorded as taunting with his words on the battle field for more than 40 days before David, the only one brave enough to face him, stepped forward and put a stop to his ranting against Israel and the God they served.
Where does one begin? It begins with finding a safe place, this may be through various types of therapy used to work through trauma, where you can retell your story and by retelling process what happened in order to make sense of it, find meaning, and to start the healing process. It requires you to reconnect first with yourself and then with others. Facing the giants within us that have been taunting, for some a long time, is a brave thing to do, but I know that some of the bravest within this nation are here within the ranks and audience that I write for. May courage and strength continue to bless you outwardly, and inwardly when the day or hour comes that you need to draw from this strength and begin to heal.
My prayer for today:
God that gives us strength, continue to be that strong arm that we can lean on when life or life’s issues are too much for us to bear or work though alone. Give us the heart of David when he faced his giants, and help us to overcome our fear that prevent us from healing both outwardly and inwardly, amen.
CH (MAJ) Dawn Siebold
Here is the direct email and phone number for anyone requesting support From
the 63d RD Chaplain office,
usarmy.usarc.63-rsc.list.chaplain-all-users@mail.mil
650-526-9668