Life^s Lessons

By Jacques Gauvin, January 18, 2007

Good evening members and guests.

The following is a passage by Terry Larimore that I found on the internet on the subject of trauma.

Emotional shock is so pervasive, as to be almost invisible in a victim of early trauma ~ until you have the eyes to see! Trauma is a force difficult to deal with, obscuring access to our deepest self and creating a self~perpetuating physiological cycle. Research confirms that early experiences such as trauma and birth, have profound, long~term emotional effects, stifling spirituality, creativity, and human potential. Unresolved shock from the past is closely connected to sexual and physical abuse in the present. Research shows direct connections between early shock with sexual behaviours, certain kinds of depression, dysfunctional emotional patterns, addictions and chronic illnesses.

I am not alone but I had a bit of a rough start in life. I suffered trauma while still in the womb near birth time. They couldn^t tell if I was unconscious, had bruises or sprains. My dad told me that when I was born I was as hard as rock. I guess you could say I was born petrified, in deep shock or traumatized. At the age of about one I developed meningitis, it is sometimes fatal. I think the trauma was unresolved because I have schizophrenia now. Life can be complicated, that is a lesson.

Growing up my mother hardly ever spoke to me. Perhaps because I didn^t like being bothered or perhaps she was emotionally distraught, I really don^t know. She had already had a stillborn before I was born.

Dad wasn^t around much and had no time for me anyway except for the odd family outing.

I got suicidal at one point and almost laid down in front of a passing car. I was between five and eight, I don^t remember exactly. Those years were all the same. What had set me off was seeing my mother wearing makeup and for a few moments I did not recognize her and I did not like the way she was acting.

I discovered that we are animals, made of flesh and blood just like the animals, and that God calls us sheep and goats. Some He calls serpents. My dad used to whistle at me as though I were a dog, if he did it once he did it a thousand times.

I always felt something was missing in my understanding of things and that God cared for me so it was no surprise to hear that we unlike animals have the potential to become members of the family of God as sons of God. I did not hear this from the Catholic church or from my parents growing up but from the Worldwide Church of God much latter in life. This was a valuable lesson.

All other information pales in significance. Everybody goes through the trials and tribulations of life but only some with the goal of attaining approval from God and receiving His gift of eternal life to be with Him in His Kingdom forever.

In order to attain this it is essential that your love for God exceed the love of parents, siblings and friends. It wasn^t until I had read the Bible and had it explained to me to a certain extent that I realized God^s plan, what it was that I was to do to please Him, that would come in conflict with parents, teachers, bosses, priests and friends. I had to obey the ten commandments including the observance of the Sabbath. I also had to observe the Passover and the seven Holy Days during the year and stop doing pagan things. These are signs that I am one of God^s people and do not belong to the world and those in it.

We are to be God^s obedient children if we want to attain life. Don^t let anyone trick you into loosing this gift. God sets our priorities and our way of life. This is receiving God^s Spirit.

How do you attain such conviction? By proving for yourself that the Bible is truly the word of God and that it interprets itself, it is not anyone else^s interpretation. This takes maturity and much study and effort. It is a humbling experience where we have to rely on the instructions and assistance of learned men to assist us in coming to the truth effectively lest we spend a life time and make little progress. God^s Church and ministers are there for that very purpose.

Anyone who has been around the church for a while knows that it went through a devastating period and in some branches continues to be devastating. People were put out of God^s Church by the tens of thousands very often for no other reason than for the ministers to show their power, so it seemed. The sheep were scattered. Just the opposite of what God instructs His shepherds to do. Many sheep were lost in the process. It is difficult to fathom what it will take to rectify the damage.

Of course some people were put out justly. Even after Baptism I still had a carnal mind. Perhaps I wasn^t convicted and dedicated enough at my baptism. Was I pretentious, a fake? Did I receive God^s spirit? Was Christ dwelling in me?

Having been cast out, the problem was that in order to quit the church I had to conclude that Jesuss sacrifice was insignificant, that He didn^t forgive my sins. I would have to conclude that He did not know what He was doing, that He died for nothing. In order to believe that I would have to deny that He had resurrected from the dead, had attained life and had insight and wisdom. I would have to deny the Bible and all its contents and deny all its followers, teachers and ministers.

And accept what, the flat earth society? Nuclear war as a solution to man^s problems? Believe in a dog eat dog world?

I decided instead to make my own decisions and not let professing ministers of God dictate my future to me. Let me work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, as always. I considered them fallible like the rest of the world^s inhabitants. Some more fallible than others. I had not quit on God, His professing ministers had quit on me.

So I was put out of Worldwide quicker than I got in. But the scriptures taught that death would not prevail over God^s Church. The Worldwide Church of God was dieing. So there must be another church. I found out eventually that there were hundreds of other churches. I chose one in search of brethren to congregate with.

So the lesson that I learned in life and apply is that God and the religion of His book the Bible, comes first. Everything else falls into place once the foundation is laid. We should not become discouraged and we should not discourage others. We should set an example for all to follow.

Life is not about feeling good first, it^s about overcoming first, even trauma. It is about maturing, respecting maturity and expecting maturity from others. The good feeling derived from that is much more rewarding and long~lasting. And it can be very enjoyable.

Christianity is not about a display of power and authority and lording it over people it is about showing a good example like Jesus did. It is about self~discipline and self~control, encouragement and outward respect and concern for others. It is about loving God through your neighbours and sharpening those friendships. That is obedience to God. It^s all in the book.