Thirsting for Water

A devotional that brings healing to the hurting!

I will admit it: I have snapped at my children, gotten angry at friends, and said things I regret. I once told my husband while we were dating that I had been through a lot of traumas and felt like a dog that had been beaten half to death. I informed him that when people held up their T-bone steaks and said, “Here, girl,” most of the time, I was still too afraid to come. I did not trust them.

A years later, after much healing, I noticed a friend’s controlling and defensive behavior towards me. She seemed to yell at me a lot when things were taken wrong. As I pondered the snapping issue, I heard this message in my spirit, “If a dog has been abused, it may snap at you.” I was receiving revelation into the healing of the soul. Back then, I did what any other certified Googleologist would; I googled it. “How to care for an abused pet.”

The number one item on the list was to provide a safe place for your abused pet to live. The second suggestion was to ensure they had plenty of fresh food and water. Since I had been abandoned by my ex-husband when I was chronically ill and eventually became homeless, I needed these simple necessities myself afterward.

An article from the Fresco California Humane Society suggested that once you get the basics for your abused pet, you must go more in-depth into helping them heal. Multiple suggestions were given:

1) Give your abused pets treats SLOWLY. Use one hand to approach them gradually–two hands may scare them.

2) Don’t allow the abused pet to interact with other pets. If the other pets are pushy or mean, this will cause the abused pet to be even more submissive and scared.

 3) Never hit or scold an abused pet. Reward good behavior, but do not punish your pet.

According to the Humane Society, when adopting an abused pet, the biggest problems you will face are mistrust and fear. Either they have had little interaction with caring humans or have been beaten, isolated, or otherwise mistreated by their previous owners. These types of situations lead to trust issues. [1]

I noticed how we humans tend to be a lot like these fur companions who have been wounded. We have trust issues, and at times, we need to be approached with ease. We do not like to be pried for information or pushed into doing something. Syrupy compliments can also evoke warning signals. We do not want to be controlled through harsh words or even bribed with treats. We tend to think things like, “What do they want?” “What are they after?” Yes, too often, pets and people who have been hurt are quickly ready to run off from a family function or an event that makes them feel worse about themselves. Their lack of self-esteem can be crushed when others are given all the attention in the room, yet they are not ready for everyone’s focus to be on them.

While researching, I also wanted to know how a person could tell if their dog (pets) had been harmed or abused. I found a list of items to cover. While reading the signs of abused animals, it became apparent that humans share the same things.

1.  Check the dog for physical signs of abuse. These could include scars, lesions, burns, or open wounds.
2. Also, missing fur or sores around the neck could indicate a dog was chained up for long periods.
3. The pet may have missing teeth that rotted out. They might have cloudy eyes.
4. The pet may show no energy and be generally fatigued.
5. An animal may also have been starved. Repeated vomiting and bloody diarrhea are other signs of trauma.

Did you notice that the signs of abuse are physical illness, mental stress, and fear? Sickness in our bodies, at times, can be caused by past trauma and abuse. Ask a person with PTSD, and you will get an even broader understanding of what our environment can do to our mental health.

In Psalms 38, David realizes his sickness has come upon himself due to making bad decisions and falling into sin. He pleads with the Most High:

Your indignation left no part of me intact; my sin made my whole body sick, for my iniquities loom high over my head as a heavy burden, too heavy for me. I have stinking, festering wounds because of my foolishness. I am bent down, prostrate completely; I go about mourning all day long.

–Psalms 38:4-7, CJB

Sometimes, our sickness, wounds, and mental stress are brought on by others.

(Large section removed)

We must heal our spirits and forgive the abusers. We must take action to see a healthy body come forth, for it will not if we do not call the counselor, join a fitness program, and start eating healthier. We, too, must begin caring for ourselves by watching the words we speak about ourselves and others.

Over the years, research has shown that trauma and its effects on our bodies are mind-blowing, and the investigation started with animals. An article by Psychology Tools titled Fight Or Flight Response credits Walter Cannon for this popular term that describes what happens on the inside when we are fearful of those on the outside:

The fight or flight response was originally described by American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon in the book Bodily Changes in pain, hunger, fear, and rage (1915). He noted that when animals were threatened, by exposure to a predator for example, their bodies released the hormone adrenaline / epinephrine which would lead to a series of bodily changes including increased heart rate and respiration.[2]

There is another term used today called Fight or Flight vs Collapse. A sexual assault survivor from Tufts University, Wagatwe Wanjuki, compares the mammalian brain to the reptile brain’s response to trauma, which collapses and then appears frozen. Wanjuki explains more in her blog titled Understanding the freeze/collapse trauma response can improve our response to Survivors’ Stories:

She says, you can see the difference between these two systems at any big pet store. Kittens, puppies, mice, and gerbils constantly play around, and when they’re tired, they huddle together, skin to skin, in a pile. In contrast, the snakes and lizards lie motionless in the corners of their cages, unresponsive to the environment. This sort of immobilization, generated by the reptilian brain, characterizes many chronically traumatized people, as opposed to the mammalian panic and rage that make more recent trauma survivors so frightened and frightening. When fighting or running does not take care of the threat, we activate the last resort- the reptilian brain, the ultimate emergency system. [3]

Abused, tattered souls may need to write their abusers a letter that never gets sent. This type of journaling helps release bottled-up anger. We vent and get rid of the pain. At some point, we will cry out to our Father to help us forgive the person who kept us chained, muzzled, or unfed. And Adonai will help us because He is a good Abba Daddy. Our trauma and fear may not be cured overnight, although it can happen. The mighty Hand of our Father is not too short to save. His powerful Spirit can find the mangiest, scrawny, scared pet in the darkest alley and rescue it from the power of drugs, sickness, pain, guilt, and shame. Our Father sweeps in and brings us to an animal shelter with loving servants who pamper us. Pets with mangled and matted-up fur must be shaved and shampooed with medicated ointments. We need the balm of Gilead, the anointing oil, and the covering of prayer.

If you have been abused today, the Father of Lights wants to hold and comfort you. The Father’s love and compassion have no limits; it is unreachable.

He is holding out His arms to you right now. Reach up and take the Master’s Hands. Run to Him instead of returning to a relationship with a new partner who looks different but has the same issues. Chances are you will run smack dab into another person who will harm you if you have not healed. We must become whole and healthy to attract someone healthy for us:

But I will restore your health and heal your wounds,

declares the LORD, because they call you an outcast,

Zion, for whom no one cares.”

Jeremiah 30:17, BSB

Someone cares for you! Yeshua the Messiah is interceding right now on your behalf.

 

 

[1] Adopting an Abused Dog (How to Prepare & Steps to Take) – Central California SPCA, Fresno, CA (ccspca.com)

[2] Fight Or Flight Response (psychologytools.com)

[3] Understanding the freeze/collapse trauma response can improve our response to survivors’ stories — Wagatwe Wanjuki

To purchase book click HERE

.