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Wednesdays With Watson: Faith & Trauma Amy Watson- PTSD Patient-Trauma Survivor
Welcome to "Wednesdays With Watson," a compassionate and insightful podcast dedicated to exploring the complex journey of healing from PTSD, the role of faith in recovery, and the profound impact of trauma on our lives. Hosted by Amy Watson, a passionate advocate for mental health and a trauma survivor, this podcast aims to provide a safe and empathetic space for listeners to learn, share, and find hope.In each episode, we delve deep into the multifaceted aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its far-reaching effects. We bring you riveting personal stories of resilience, recovery, and transformation and expert interviews with psychologists, therapists, faith leaders, and individuals who have walked the path of healing.Our mission is to break mental health stigma and encourage open dialogue about PTSD and trauma. We explore the profound connection between faith, spirituality, and mental well-being, offering insights into how one's faith can be a powerful source of strength and healing.Whether PTSD, faith, or trauma has touched you or someone you know, "Wednesdays With Watson" is here to inspire, educate, and provide practical tools for navigating the healing journey. Join us on this empowering quest towards reclaiming peace, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose.Today, subscribe to our community of survivors, advocates, and compassionate listeners. Together, we can heal our hearts and find the path to recovery, one episode at a time.
Wednesdays With Watson: Faith & Trauma Amy Watson- PTSD Patient-Trauma Survivor
Finding Joy in the Tapestry: The Power of the Master Weaver (Solo)
Do you remember when, as a child, you couldn't grasp why adults admired the abstract patterns in a piece of art? It's through the eyes of maturity that we see the beauty in the pattern, much like the little girl in our story who finally understands the weaver's work. The journey of faith often mirrors this experience. We face trials and tribulations that make little sense to us in the moment, yet there is an unwavering joy and strength anchored deep within us, much like the Master Weaver who creates beauty from chaos. We discuss how this deep-seated joy, even amidst sorrow and pain, is an incredible testament to the power of spiritual maturity.
Have you ever considered that you are seen, known, heard, loved, and valued? During those moments of despair and darkness when you feel invisible and unheard, remember that Jesus, the Master Weaver, is always at work. We delve into the power of His love and how it can bring healing and hope even in the most dire of circumstances. We end on the hopeful note of how our lives can glorify Jesus, if only we choose to view our life's tapestry from the right side of the loom. And remember, you are not alone. You are a part of the grand tapestry being woven by the Master Weaver.
You ARE:
SEEN KNOWN HEARD LOVED VALUED
The little girl slid in behind her mom as they watched the man behind the weaving loom. She held on to her mom's leg as she was just short enough to stare up through the loom, and what she saw was a confusing array of colors that crisscrossed each other with knots and tears and strings. Try as she might, she could not understand why everybody thought the weaver's work was so beautiful. She couldn't even pretend to make any meaning of his work. Yet all the adults, the grown-ups in the room, stood in awe as they watched the weaver work. What could she be missing, she thought. And as if he could read her mind, her dad picked her up and whispered in her ear don't judge the worker by looking at the wrong side of the loom. As she stared up at him because she couldn't see the top side of the loom, he picked her up and put her on his shoulders, and there she could see the beauty of the weaver's work. One day, when she was bigger and more mature, she could see the weaver's work from her own perspective. She determined to grow up as fast as she could, because growing up meant a different perspective. But until then she realized that she would just have to trust that her view from the bottom of the loom was not accurate, no matter how real it looked. She memorized the words of her father Don't judge the worker from the wrong side of the loom.
Speaker 1:Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Wednesdays with Watson podcast. If you've stumbled onto this podcast for the first time, my name is Amy Watson and I am your host. Thank you for joining us here today. I know that time is one thing, that we are not getting back, and you have chosen to spend a few of your minutes here with me today, and I simply just say thank you. We are entering into a new phase not necessarily a season in the proper sense of the word of the podcast, because I can no longer get behind this microphone and talk about trauma without also talking about the star of the story. Faith and trauma are linked forever and ever together. The only way that we can trust that the tapestry of our lives is not our trauma narratives is by trusting that there is master weaver. Just like that little girl, we need to chase growth and seek maturity in Jesus. This maturity helps us trust the master weaver. Those of us who live with the different effects of trauma may not possess the maturity we need to heal. What does that maturity look like? Well, james spends five chapters telling us. As we enter into this different season of not only the podcast but of my life, we are going to explore what maturity in Christ looks like and how that is going to help us with our painful memories and our painful experiences, so that we can look from the right side of the loom.
Speaker 1:People ask me all the time if I would change my story. My answer is always a version of something I heard somebody else say. I wouldn't choose it, but I wouldn't change it. There is only one reason I can answer that question that way, and it comes from a joy, or a charas in Greek only given to me. Because of the favor of God, james wrote his letter to the twelve tribes. The fact that he had written them to the twelve tribes indicates that the gospel had already began to decline as people were living outside of Palestine. They were certainly in a time of transition and uncertainty. It was a time for them to grow up and own their own faith. The letter from James to the twelve tribes is an exhortation for them to seek maturity in Christ. Just like that little girl, they were not tall enough to view the tapestry from the right side.
Speaker 1:James opens the book by saying, in verse two consider it all joy when you experience various trials and tribulations. Let's talk a little bit for a second about that word. Consider that and the Greek is an accounting term. That means evaluate, rip it down, look at it. And so James is telling them when you think about your trials, when you think about your tribulations, consider, evaluate, strip it down, look at it. And then, after you do that, I want you to consider it all joy.
Speaker 1:Now, most of you have stopped listening by now because you're asking me Amy, how can I be joyful in the face of unbelievable trauma, loss, pain, grief? Martin Lloyd-Jones described joy like this this is something peculiar which cannot be explained. The world has never seen anyone who knew joy as our Lord did, and yet he was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. I want to read that again, because this joy, this charros, this deep inner gladness that James is calling us to after we examine, after we think about, after we strip down our trials, our tribulations, martin Lloyd-Jones says this this is something peculiar which cannot be explained. The world has never seen anyone who knew this joy, this charros, as our Lord did. And yet he was a man of sorrow acquainted with grief. Trauma tribes sound like anybody that you know.
Speaker 1:We read in Hebrews 12-2,. We can have this charros. We can have this deep, abiding inner gladness after we've examined our trials and our tribulations, because we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for the joy, same word there, that inner gladness set before him even into the death of the cross. So the Greek word there is the same word, charros, that Jesus had as he endured the cross, the same unwavering, deep inner gladness, despite his circumstances. Even in the garden, jesus was looking at the loom from the right side. James tells us, consider it deep inner gladness when temptation comes. I know what many of you are thinking, but I go back to. Jesus was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. Yet no man in the world has ever known charros or joy like Jesus did.
Speaker 1:People ask me all the time how I can have joy, how I could not be bitter, how I could be behind this microphone, how I could be pursuing a doctorate degree, how I could even be alive. And I know it is because somewhere along the way Jesus put me on his shoulder so that I could look down and look at the loom from the right side. Do I walk around giddy and happy all the time? Absolutely not. But there is a deep inner gladness because I know that the trials and my trauma that I have endured has forced me to look to the cross, because looking at my trauma has robbed me, will rob me of that inner gladness. Painting and evaluating and examining my trauma allows me to remember the words of Job he will try me and I will come forth as gold. Listen, this is a promise, true for you. You too, do not be surprised when pain and trauma and loss comes, but seek inner gladness that tells the world who your God is.
Speaker 1:First, peter 4-2 says Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as something strange has happened to you. You see, we need to be expecting trauma, loss and pain. It is promised in this life and that is how I can answer the question the way I can. I wouldn't change it. I do hope, like Job, that it can be said that when he tries me, that I will come forth as gold. A better way to explain that is that I will mature in Christ and that with each surrender I am getting taller, so that I can see the tapestry from the right side, so that can see the trauma from the right side, trusting the master weaver.
Speaker 1:While the things that have happened in my life are hard, they are not surprising, because all through the Bible we are told that we would have trouble in this world. So how, then, shall we live, now that we have corrected our posture and are growing up and we maintain our inner gladness even in the worst of circumstances, just like Jesus did, even in the face of death on the cross? James tells us in verse 2, so not only should we count it all joy when we fall into various temptations, but then he goes on to say because you know that the trying of your faith produces endurance. How do we know this? Well, warren Wearsby said it best when he said we have a choice when our faith is tested by our circumstances, we can allow God to strengthen it or we can allow our enemy to use it against us.
Speaker 1:Mature Christians know about Abrahamic faith. Abraham's faith was strengthened when he had to choose to obey what felt like an impossible request from God. We can know that the trying of our faith produces an eternal sense of glory in us. We see that in 1 Corinthians. A sustaining faith of hard times and trials can help us mature, grow taller so that we can see the weave from the right side. We can know that trial works for us, trials work for us, and understand the value that God puts on the testing of our faith.
Speaker 1:1 Peter 1 7 says that the testing of your faith is more precious than gold. Think about that for a second. So, as we are walking around this planet thinking, how can a good God allow us to suffer when we see in 1 Peter 1 7 that he is telling us that this suffering is more precious than gold, one of the things that we as humans hold the most precious in this world? God says that the trying of your faith is more precious than gold. Why? Because we can grow up and we can see from the right side in the loom.
Speaker 1:Verse 3 says because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Speaker 1:Well, who needs endurance, if not a bunch of trauma survivors? Verse 3 says that the trying of our faith produces endurance. The Greek word here indicates activity rather than passivity. Activity looks a lot like chasing healing. Activity looks a lot like hanging out on the shoulders of Jesus. As we mature in Christ, we learn to endure, and this endurance is helps us not throw in the towel, it is an act of stance that helps us stand in the fire and endure that inner sense of gladness that the world doesn't understand. When we endure, we grow and mature, and maturity in Christ gives us this perspective to view the weave from the right side of the loom. Verse 4 says and let endurance have its full effect, that you may be mature, lacking nothing.
Speaker 1:Friend, can you imagine, even in the darkest hours of your life, how you could have everything you need to not only survive your trauma but grow through it? It's real, that's truth. In your darkest hour, you can examine your trials and tribulation and you can land in an inner sense of gladness because of whose you are? He can read your mind, he knows. Can he climb up on the shoulders of Jesus and lean into this deep inner gladness that comes from looking at the right side of the loom? Can you see the right side of the weave, even now, as you're listening to this podcast, and leaning into growing in Christ? This world wants you to stay in your pain. This world wants you to stay immature in Christ. Your real enemy really wants you.
Speaker 1:Looking at the wrong side of the weave, you have a decision. Will you seek inner gladness after the evaluation, after the uncovering, after the accounting of your trauma? Will you seek maturity in Jesus? Can you consider your trials as an opportunity for you to experience inner gladness and endurance so that you can see the beauty from the right side of the loom? The decision is going to take a lot on your part to trust the master weaver. It may feel like the hardest decision of your life, but making this choice will yield maturity in Christ. It is that maturity that draws us near to him and as we receive inner gladness during the hardest times of our lives, you are teaching the world a lesson as you turn your trials into a triumphant life with Jesus, and if you have to hang out on his shoulders for a bit, that's okay. You stay near to the master of the weave.
Speaker 1:Lord, thank you so much for these listeners, thank you for this podcast, thank you for this promise that we can have deep inner joy even in the midst of unspeakable darkness. Lord, help us to examine our trials and our tribulations and help us to count them as an opportunity to have deep inner peace, deep inner gladness that this world cannot take from us. Lord, help us to know that we wake up looking on the wrong side of the loom. Help us to renew our minds every day. Climb up on your shoulders and look down at the tapestry that you are making of our lives. Lord, something is beautiful in its time, something that will be all things new.
Speaker 1:So whoever is under the sound of my voice right now, who just needs to climb up on your shoulders so they can look at the right side, the master weaver, lord, thank you. Thank you, jesus, for being the master weaver. We love you, and so, no matter where this is being heard, no matter when this is being heard, may someone in a dark place just turn around to the master of the weave. We love you, lord, amen. I do hope that you know that we just spoke the name of Jesus over you, and so, wherever you're listening to this episode, I hope that you will find hope and that you will know that there's healing when we consider it all joy when we experience all kinds of trials and tribulations. I hope that you want to grow. I hope that you no longer want to look up through the wrong side of the weavers alone. As for us, we'll be back here in two weeks. Until then, you know what I'm going to say we're seeing, you're known, you're heard, you're loved. You're so, so valued.
Speaker 2:I hope that you will find hope and that you will know that there's healing when we consider it all joy. You never fail me. You have pulled me out from the depths. You have Save me from certain death. You have shown yourself faithful to me Over and over Jesus. So let my life glorify you. Teach me to walk beside you. I want to be more like you, so let my life be one marked by you, mark by you, mark by you.
