Navigating Triggers in the Spirit

A trigger can feel like proof that something is wrong with you.

But we’ve learned to see it differently: emotional pain that taps an unhealed wound and yanks us out of our best thinking. When that happens, our bodies often take over with fight, flight, fawn, freeze, or a rush toward self-comfort that can slide straight into the addiction cycle. We slow all of that down and ask a better question: what if the trigger is an invitation to connection and healing?

We get practical about what to do in real time when you’re activated and you do not have space for a full inner healing session. We talk about somatic grounding, noticing where the trigger lives in your body, placing a hand on your heart or stomach, orienting to safety, and speaking kindness to the parts of you that learned to survive. Then we bring Jesus directly into it with honest prayer: What am I reacting to? What am I fighting? What do I need to hear right now? This is a Christian approach to triggers that respects both the nervous system and the presence of God.

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Transcript

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What A Trigger Really Is

James 0:18

In Awaken, we define triggers as any emotional pain that resonates with an unhealed wound. It might be a little different than the, the TikTok influencers some of y'all listen to. Um, let me say it another way. A trigger is that which pulls us out of our window of tolerance. Some say a trigger is that which shuts off our relational circuits. So those are a lot of different kind of psychological jargon, if you will. But are there any ways that as Christians we're able to utilize the limitless treasure that we have in Christ Jesus to navigate triggers? How as Christians can we engage triggers? In other words, how does the gospel impact us when we are triggered? So I'm James Craig, and I'm the director of projects and the spiritual coach here at Regeneration. I'm joined by Andrea, my esteemed colleague who I love getting to record podcasts with. Uh, Andrea's a spiritual coach, and Andrea, do you have a background in broadcasting? I do. Am I remembering that right? Okay. Yeah, that might be where, uh, you developed some of these awesome podcasting skills. But Andrea, you know, some of our listeners, um, they'll, they'll understand if, especially if they've done some recovery, that a trigger is often described as that which sends them into the addiction cycle. Mm-hmm. In other words, a trigger, um, it, it draws... It, it takes them out of thinking well, and it draws them into addictive kind of thinking. Mm-hmm. Or for those who have experienced sexual betrayal, they might realize or have learned that triggers lead to that classic four F. You know, fight, flight, fawn, or freeze. And that, that's true for, for anyone too, by the way. That, again, another way of saying a trigger is something that takes us out of our best thinking, out of our, um, the fullness of our relational right brain. So, so Andrea, how do you see triggers operating in the lives of the women that you walk with here at Regen?

How Triggers Show Up In Life

Andrea 2:29

Hmm. I see it a lot of different ways. If, um, if a trigger's coming up as a cue for danger, you know, like, "Oh, this was something that I remember," um, they might want to run away, right? Mm-hmm. To escape somehow. Or if- Right um, right. Or if they, they are going into an extreme state of survival, um, they might try to escape again also in, to something. Um- Mm or if it is connected to some past trauma, "Oh my gosh, I'm already feeling shame, let's just keep going," dive deeper into the shame and cement it. Um- But that shutting off relational circuits is true for all of them, right? It's-

James 3:14

Mm.

Andrea 3:14

We shut down, we isolate, and, um, can start to spiral real quick right into, um, the addiction cycle

Triggers Point To Unhealed Wounds

James 3:23

Yeah, let me, let me just kind of go back to what I said at the very beginning of this podcast. Like, triggers are, uh, emotional pain that resonate with an unhealed wound, and I think that that's such an invitational definition because I, I think, um, sometimes we hear people use triggers in any which way. You were telling me earlier, like, uh, really I just need to say I feel sad or annoyed or whatever, and everything's called a trigger. But a trigger's actually an invitation. It's, it's recognizing... In fact, triggers are developed by our wounds. Again, emotional pain, right, that resonates with an unhealed wound. And so whether it's specifically trauma or perhaps wounding in more general sense, triggers develop when we did not have someone to help us regulate when something bad had happened. Andrea, I've heard, um, I've learned a lot from Jim Wilder's Life Model, and I've, I, I learned in one of their books that if you were to be regulated by a parent, let's just say you're five years old and something bad happens, and maybe you're running around with, with your, your parent, and they end up in the hospital because they trip and, and it feels like it's all your fault and you're so overwhelmed. But if the other parent were to sit down with you and say, "Hey, that wasn't your fault. Your parent, your, your mom still loves you. Uh, she doesn't blame you at all for, for tripping, and she loves playing. She can't wait to play with you more." You know, helping, uh... At whatever stage of development, helping process relationally in the moment can actually immediately bring, uh, scar tissue in a healthy way. Like, instead of an unhealed wound that ends up infected over time, it's scar tissue. And, and so seeing your mom run around in the grass as an eight-year-old or a 10-year-old or seeing, uh, soccer players on the World Cup pitch as a 40-year-old, like, those things won't trigger you because that wound was immediately healed up. But, so part of what I'm trying to just articulate here is triggers are an invitation to recognize there was a place I needed relational connection. There was a place I needed someone to help me process stuff that I didn't quite get.

Andrea 5:34

That, that's profound, and it is so beautiful to consider trigger... I love what you're saying because it's not a trigger's an invitation, and that's like s- tying a bow on the trigger. That's not what I- Yeah. Yeah this is saying. This is an invitation to look more closely, to, to continue the story, 'cause it's almost like you shut the book, there's the pain. Um, but this is, this is turning the page with someone to continue writing the story of, um, what does this say about me? What does this say about this person? What does this say about my body, my heart, my mind? Um, to an unhealed wound, could addressing your triggers- And spending time with them continue the healing process of those wounds

Inviting Jesus Into Old Memories

James 6:24

That's exactly what we're gonna get into, right? Like-

Andrea 6:26

Yes.

James 6:26

uh, how does walking specifically with Jesus help in times of triggers? And it's... W- we're gonna get into this, friends, not just looking at past wounds, although Andrea and I could probably testify to many times we've seen Jesus enter a memory and recontextualize it and, and do exactly what didn't happen to that five-year-old if that five-year-old didn't have a parent who helped them process the wound. We go back in prayer, and Jesus loves to meet people in those places, give them His perspective, show them that He's with them, even in the valley of the shadow of death. And so, so these wounds can be healed indeed over time through what I just described, healing prayer, through processing with a loving counselor or coach. But Andrea, like, w- what are, what are some of the ways that you help people in real time? Like, if someone's in a coaching session and... Or, or even how about this? If someone is triggered out and about, and they're not in a coaching session, are there strategies that you ever engage with them? Are there, are there tactics for them to engage with Jesus, even if they don't have time to get into a whole, like, inner healing prayer session in that moment? What... How do, how do you encourage them?

Andrea 7:36

Al- although I have done that.

James 7:38

Okay. Yeah.

Andrea 7:40

I'm like, "Oh, we're gonna go on the sideline of the lacrosse field, but yes, let's go." Oh,

James 7:43

beautiful. So... Yeah.

Andrea 7:45

Um-

James 7:45

Well, let's just say you're not around. How would you equip someone, uh, to, to walk through a trigger maybe when they're on their own or, or just out and about? Yeah.

Andrea 7:53

So,

Grounding In The Middle Of It

Andrea 7:53

I mean, immediately for some reason, like, I'm feeling about, like, my heart. Like, my heart would be racing, you know? Mm. Like, the... I'm, I'm freezing and so, but my heart is racing. So I would put my hand on my heart, and if, if we're gonna consider a trigger an invitation, oh, I feel my heart. What is my heart trying to tell me? Um- Mm I'm safe now, like, looking around, doing some grounding, uh, that sort of thing. But connecting to the physical part of you, whether it's your, your head is pounding or your jaw's really tight, um, uh, there are different physical signs that are gonna show up when we are triggered. And so to physically connect with it and, and say, speak to that part of you what maybe you needed to hear at that point of, "You're okay and you're safe now," um, feels really good. Um, but I wanna go back. I wanna go back because when you, when you are gonna say something like that, James, that a trigger is an invitation, then we really need to sit and say, "And we're gonna invite Jesus into this," right? So, "Jesus, what are you inviting me to here? 'Cause, 'cause I feel like I need to fight somebody. I need to fight something." Mm. "What, what am I fighting against? Can you help me see, hear, know, believe, understand what I'm fighting against right now? Will you be with me in this?" Or, "Jesus, I feel like cement- is running through my veins. I cannot move. Mm. I'm so frozen. Feel

James 9:25

frozen.

Andrea 9:25

Yeah. So Jesus, what? I know that you can do all things, but what am I learning right now? What am I understanding right now? Mm. Maybe just your presence be with me. Um- Engaging the God of the universe in a conversation to hear what you need to hear in the moment of your wanting to survive, um, is what you can do also

James 9:54

Mm. Uh, it's such a profound resource in, that we have in God, Andrea, because I've heard a, I heard a psychologist say recently that you're not gonna be able to process really deep pockets of sadness without another person. Mm And I think this per- th- this psychologist is 100% correct. Mm. But I think in, as Christians, we do have access to a person. I remember Dallas Willard, um, and his famous, uh, understanding of the discipline of, um, solitude. He said, "We practice solitude to learn that we're never truly alone." And so I think in God, we actually have access. Now, I immediately need to also say so often God works through his body. There's no reason he wouldn't want to. I mean, he loves to work through his body. He loves to meet people. I, I'll pray sometimes, Andrea, "Lord, help me. I feel so stuck. I feel it triggered." And I've come to learn that sometimes he'll answer directly in the moment, just him and me. Sometimes he'll answer later that day, him and me. Sometimes he'll answer through a friend or a loved one or someone that he sends. So I'm not saying it's an either/or. In fact, if it was just us and God, if that's all that ever mattered, me with Jesus, first of all, I'd be falling into, like, a very individualistic framework, and second of all, I'd be, I'd be forgetting that in Genesis 2 it wasn't good for Adam to be alone. Even though he was walking in the fullness of life with God in the Garden of Eden, the, the narrative of scripture is basically is telling us we really can't do this alone. But I do wanna just highlight again, like, God is always with us. We can always cry out to Jesus. We say that in Awaken when, when guys do get triggered into the addiction cycle. You always can cry out to Jesus. Mm. And I think often the challenge, Andrea, can be waiting on him- Mm 'cause he will answer every cry, I believe, that's ever called out to him. But if I then take it into my own hands to comfort myself, in, in a sinful way I'm talking about, not like the healthy comforts that you just mentioned, like hands on your heart or deep breaths or whatever. But if I take it into my own hands and say, "I'm gonna stuff my face with all this sugary food 'cause I do not know how to deal with this pain right now," or, "I wanna go to pornography," or, "I wanna do this or that," we're, we're missing the invitation to trust, to have faith, to, to, to believe that God will answer indeed. Like, he will actually answer our cry for help.

Andrea 12:20

Mm.

James 12:21

So when, when you're, when you're walking with, uh, with women, you know, in, in spiritual coaching, any things maybe starting with like how you posture, encourage them to posture themselves f- to, to be able to encounter Jesus in a trigger or any- anything that you do kind of groundwork-wise when it comes to c- connection with Jesus, like making a more robust connection with Jesus?

Andrea 13:52

So, you know, a, a lot of times, especially with the kind of work that we do, um, we've cut ourselves off from noticing our bodies.

Relearning Your Body Through Scans

Andrea 14:02

Um, especially as women we Um, I don't know if this is true for the men also, but, um, i- if there's, uh, shame either through betrayal or shame through our own addictions, um, well, I'm just gonna discard my body and focus on my heart and, and learn all that I can and that sort of thing. So there's a, a dismissal of our, of our bodies. Mm. And so really uncomfortable, but some really good groundwork, um, as we start in coaching for w- wherever the trigger s- source is coming from, is a body scan- Mm and some really good language around Uh, and I'll s- I'll send them We have a, you can just get, like, a gingerbread cutout of a body, you know? Mm-hmm. And, um, every session, "How are you coming in today?" "I feel, um, gurgly in my tummy." Okay, well then let's write gurgly and right over your stomach area. Mm. Um, or, "My heart is tight." Okay, well then you write tight across your heart. And then as you start associating these words with these parts of your body and paying attention, and all of a sudden it's, you know, within two months you've got eight pages at least of really good data points on your body, um, and what it's- Yeah experiencing and what it's feeling. And so then when you can name, "Oh, my tummy's gurgly again," let me place a hand on my stomach and say, "Thank you for trying to talk to me. I hear you, and I, I'm okay right now." Mm. "I'm talking to Andrea. I'm, I'm going through hard, uh, memories, but I'm, I'm okay right now." It's, it's a, such a sweet connection, um, of that wholeness, that picture of wholeness, right? Where our heart is attuned to our bodies and our mind is communicating w- Everything is in sync. Mm. And so to reintroduce our bodies, um, in a kind way, in an observant way, and then connect, um, is a great step one.

James 16:14

Mm. And w- when we think about who Jesus is, we think about the reality He came as a man

Why Jesus Cares About Bodies

James 16:24

with a body.

Andrea 16:25

Mm-hmm.

James 16:25

Um, I think of, uh, in Awaken there's a place where Josh encourages the men going through the course to press their wounds into the body of Jesus on the cross. And for many men that's a little bit- I don't know, too ethereal or what, what does that really mean? But I think what you're partially saying is in the incarnation, we, we have a God who showed He cares about our bodies and totally knows what it's like to, you know, to carry things perhaps. And one of the ways that I actually approach this, Andrea, can be recognizing where am I feeling something in my body? And then if, if there's been enough of a recognition, let's just say all eight weeks, the woman coming into your session or the man coming to my session's like, "I feel a pit in my gut whenever I talk about X, Y, or Z struggle," um, I'll often say, "Let's actually bring that to the Lord, and let's ask the Lord, i-i- Holy Spirit, is there a place where this pit in my gut originated?" And I'm shocked, Andrea, how often, because of the way God designed our bodies and because the Holy Spirit is searching our hearts and wants to actually help, He's the helper. I'm shocked by the amount of times like, "Whoa, I'm thinking about this memory I've never shared with you before, but it was when I was eight years old, and it's the first time I felt really embarrassed on the playground." And, you know, like it, it's just kind of wild how our bodies are actually... I mean, there's the classic book, Our- Your Body Keeps the Score, um, by Bessel van der Kolk. But as Christians, we can recognize God, first of all being outside of time, knows everything that we're holding in our body at all time, and He often loves to help us figure out where th- where those things originated. But also because of Jesus' body on the cross, because of the death of Jesus physically, because of the resurrection of Jesus physically, we actually have a God who exemplifies caring for our bodies- Yes and really our, all that we are and how that's held.

Andrea 18:23

Our matter matters.

James 18:25

Yes.

Andrea 18:26

Mm.

James 18:27

And, and listeners, if you're, if you're like, "Really? Matter matters?" Like, isn't this just kind of the world focusing just on the body? As Christians, we can actually sometimes make the opposite error, which, um, I don't really want to get too far into it, but Christians have taken on some of the Greek philosophy of people like Plato and, and the modern philosophy of people like Descartes and have really come to believe all that really matters is the mind, is the, is our thoughts, is our kind of spirituality ethereally speaking, and we've forgotten the importance of the body. Uh, uh, my pastor was reminding me of this earlier today in discipleship. He's like, "W- we've so emphasized the deity of Christ. We've struggled much more in the last century with his humanity." There's good reasons we've emphasized the deity. There were people saying He wasn't really God. So, but, but anytime you're responding to an error, it's so easy to fall into, "Well, now we're just focusing on Jesus as God," and we're forgetting He's also human, uh, 100% both.

Andrea 19:25

And so he knows-

James 19:25

Yeah

Andrea 19:26

he knows, uh, he knows what crying feels like.

James 19:30

Yeah.

Andrea 19:30

A- and he knows what getting hungry feels like, and he knows what laughing around a dinner table with his friends felt like. Uh, he knows what prayer and crying out feels like. That's who our Jesus is, and that mattered so much to God that he sent him to us. So how, how, how can we ignore this body of ours? Mm.

James 19:51

Yeah. Well, so again, using the body, Andrea, as a, as an entry point to so much of dealing with triggers, 'cause triggers are held in the body as w- as we've been saying or at least alluding to, h- how do you, how do you coach women, uh, maybe even using scripture to help connect their bodies and the triggers to the Lord? Like, are there ways that you've engaged scripture to help navigate triggers?

Andrea 20:18

I mean, it's kind of a, a little longer passage. I don't know, but John 21 is... You cannot deny that Jesus

Peter’s Charcoal Fire And Healing

Andrea 20:28

he, he's on his A-game with the psychology stuff before we even like-

James 20:33

Oh, yeah

Andrea 20:34

talk about

James 20:34

it. Well, so yeah, for, for context, John 21, um, it, it starts out with Jesus, with the, the second miraculous catch of fish. You know, Peter had that miraculous catch all the way when Jesus called him.

Andrea 20:47

Mm-hmm.

James 20:47

And now Peter... Uh, do you wanna tee this up a little bit? Like Peter- I mean, it's,

Andrea 20:51

it... Yeah, I mean- Yeah, how

James 20:52

does-

Andrea 20:53

Peter is, is distraught. His friend is gone. His Jesus is gone. Mm. And on top of that, he denied him three times just like Jesus said he would. And so- I, I imagine Peter just kinda like, "Well, phew, what else am I gonna do? I'm gonna go back to fishing. I'm gonna go back- It's what I know to what I've always known, right?" Yeah. "This is what I do." Um, and when I think about the men and women that we serve, you know, I, I don't know where Jesus is. I'm just gonna go back to pornography. I'm gonna go back to hooking up. I'm gonna go back to eating, drinking, whatever it is to, to fuel what it is that we're lacking. And as scripture says, yeah, he came up empty. And don't... Isn't that the truth for all of us? Wow.

James 21:37

When we take it into our own hands, we- When

Andrea 21:39

we take it into our own hands that is

James 21:41

grasping at the air, the wind. It's

Andrea 21:42

right there, John 21 verse, uh, three. Yeah, it caught nothing. Um-

James 21:49

Mm.

Andrea 21:49

So then Jesus calls out to them, and John is like, "My gosh, that's our Lord." And let's sit there for a second because sometimes we need a friend. Sometimes we need that witness to say, "Hey, there's Jesus. Hey, he's calling out." Mm. We need that friend to remind us who, who it is that we're hearing. And so Peter jumps in, swims to shore, so excited to see Jesus, and the first thing that greets him, aside from seeing Jesus, but is this, the waft, the smell of that charcoal fire. And flipping back a few pages in John, we know that Peter was standing beside a charcoal fire each and every time he denied Jesus.

James 22:37

Mm-hmm.

Andrea 22:37

But talk about a, a trigger that was reinforced three times- Mm-hmm over, right? For this earnest, passionate Peter, and then he's seeing Jesus coming up on shore dripping wet, and he smells it, and I don't know if he froze I don't know if he wanted to fall on his knees and fawn. I don't know if he wanted to fight, but I imagine that he was severely triggered But standing beside the trigger is Jesus, Jesus knowing full well what this smell would've probably done to Peter, but he stands beside it. And not only that, he cooks a feast for him on it. He has bread and fish sizzling on this charcoal fire for his friend who he loves so much. Mm. Like, "Hey, Peter, I see, I see what you're smelling. I can see it in your face. I can see the tears in your eyes, but come and eat with me. I, I am beside this trigger with you and for you, and I wanna do something different with, with it for you."

James 23:47

It's so beautiful. That- Yeah. Yeah. And, and it's a good reminder too that often what triggers a trigger, if you will, what, what sets, what sets off the unhealed wound is a sensation, right? So in this case, smell. You mentioned a charcoal fire. Uh, maybe sight, uh, seeing a charcoal fire, right? Like, so sight, smells, sounds, right? A- all of our senses can actually... are, are the places f- through which we experience triggers. And here's Jesus, risen from the dead, embodied, saying... I- in his resurrection body, which is probably part of why they were a little bit confused, like, no one asked him, "Who are you?" They're like, "It's the Lord." Uh, but he, he was, he was new creation. He was harder to recognize 'cause he, he was resurrected. He was his new creation self. And so for him to actually bring that recontextualization of the coals and, and the fi- i- uh, that first catch of fish too, I mean- Mm-hmm Peter had another miraculous catch, in this case hearkening back to when he was first called, which was probably actually, if I can use the term, positive triggers. Maybe we'll have a different word for that in a little bit. Um, but the, this idea that Jesus was calling back also on the good, that- Mm the first day that Peter kind of surrendered, Jesus said, "Who are you, Lord?" Like, "I'm a man, you know, I'm a sinful man. Get away from me." And Jesus is like, "Follow me," you know? "Be with me." Yeah. So this is such a relational approach to healing. And I, I imagine, I can just picture Peter just needing to get in touch with some of the sadness of like what has happened, but it's in the context of Jesus is with him in that sadness- Yeah in the grief of what he had done, in the grief of his betrayal. Mm-hmm.

Andrea 25:32

Um, I heard recently, um, Jesus doesn't l- like to just be remembered. He also likes to be received. Hmm. Which is the beauty of communion. And so this is a picture, once again, of just don't remember who I am, but also sit and feast with me. Be, be with me. Receive my presence and my, and my forgiveness. Um, it's so beautiful.

James 25:56

Yeah. Well, a- and speaking of beauty, I remember you sharing with me earlier, that's one of the ways that some people experience healing

Beauty And Community As Pushback

James 26:07

or at least relief around triggers, is somehow encountering beauty. You want to say more about that and some other places that you see people experience relief or, or even full-on healing with triggers?

Andrea 26:20

Well, so, um, beauty is this kind of tool of defiance, which I know can be a, a funky word for some people, but it is a, a real act of, of defiance in the face of shame and isolation. And, um, I know, uh, one client in particular who, um- When she wanted to make a statement of, "I, I don't wanna be alone in this anymore, I don't wanna feel the shame of this anymore," um, invited a few friends over to paint. And so she stood up at the beginning of the night, and they had these little, uh, wooden disks, and she had paints, and everybody brought snacks. And, um, she stood up and she's like, "This is a tool of defiance. This is a-

James 27:08

Mm

Andrea 27:09

this paint, little paintbrush is my tool, uh, to say no more to the shame and isolation." Mm-hmm. And so to sit down in community with these other women and paint and create something beautiful, a memento, and to sing worship and to pray with each other and eat with each other. Mm. Talk about all the senses, right? Mm-hmm. Just the paint, the color, the, the taste of food, the sound of worship, the, the connection with each other is, um, the smell of the- Mm candles. All of that is a real, um, pushback on what could have been a further cementing of that trigger for her.

James 27:48

Wow. Beauty, uh, you make me think of the verse, I'm forgetting the reference, beauty from ashes. Mm-hmm. God wants to bring beauty even out of... I mean, think about what ashes are. They're literally, like, pulverized, uh, maybe pieces of wood or, or whatever. Like, uh, th- there's nothing left but this black ash, and God actually wants to bring beaut- what an act of defiance against the kingdom of darkness, right? Like, any act of genuine Christian beauty is an act against kingdom of darkness. So you mentioned the body, right? Somatic things. You mentioned beauty, relationships. You also told me earlier about some people are a little more cerebral, and you found that there are kind of ways that they engage their minds. Maybe it's through meditation on scripture like this, but what are some of the ways for people who are a little more cerebral, and people like me, or I'm sure many of the women you, you coach, who might not enjoy, uh, painting for an evening?

Andrea 28:41

Yeah. Yeah. So if there's, if the- if it isn't painting and if it isn't somatics, then my goodness, I wonder if it is, um, m- meditating on a verse. Mm.

Scripture Meditation For Busy Minds

Andrea 28:51

I wonder if it is, um... Because meditating on a verse, um, this is the word of God. From the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Uh, to meditate on the word and make it part of this, um, soundtrack that wants to be on, on, uh, on a loop in our brains, and kind of interrupt that with some new words, some life-giving, light-filled healing words, uh, to finish the sentences on what was never spoken, uh, when these triggers were created, is, um... Well, that's just awesome. That's just awesome. Mm.

James 29:33

Mm. I, I mean, all these things are saying, "Hey, instead of taking matters into your own hands and grasping, you know, the f- walking by the flesh," I'm thinking now of Galatians 5 which says, "Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." And I'm sure that can mean a lot of different things, but one thing it certainly means is walk in step with Jesus. Walk, uh, me- meditatively on scripture. Um, uh, and by the way, meditation on scripture for, I, I believe the Hebrews would often look like mumbling and almost like speaking it just over and over and over, and that's another way to take, take it from just the cerebral, if you will. Speak it, you know, somatically. You, you're experiencing... That's part of how you get it into your heart. I remember, um, actually when I started to be inspired again by Dallas Willard to memorize scripture as one of the absolute core spiritual disciplines, he was like, "Most of us think we don't actually have the capacity to memorize, but use your mouth. Speak the words of God over and over." In fact, if you were to speak a verse 10 times in a row seven days in a row, you know, 10 times in a, in a couple minutes and then do that for a week, I can almost guarantee you'd be surprised, even for people like me who don't feel like we've got the best memorization type memory, how much that can actually, speaking scripture out can get it into your heart.

Andrea 31:00

Mm-hmm. Uh, I make playlists- Mm-hmm uh, literally just to sing these verses. Uh, right now I'm painting uh, a huge canvas, four by five foot canva- canvas.

James 31:14

Wow.

Andrea 31:14

Um, uh, Psalm 130, um, more than watchmen wait in the morning, more than watchmen wait in the morning, I wait on your, on your word. And so all these different versions of the same psalm, um, are just playing and playing as my body is, you know, painting. Uh, and it feels like such a holy experience-

James 31:36

Mm

Andrea 31:37

to resettle-

James 31:38

Amazing

Andrea 31:38

sure, yeah. It's good. It's good.

James 31:42

So one other topic is, uh, we... I, I kind of alluded to this earlier, but this is the first time I heard this term glimmers. Um, where'd

Glimmers That Cue Peace

James 31:51

you hear this term, Andrea? And, and describe what glimmers are for our listeners. I did

Andrea 31:56

not make this up, but it sounds like something I would make up. Um, Dr. Allison Cook, um, is who I first heard it from. She introduced it as it's, it's not quite the opposite of a trigger, but it's- It's something where, um, instead of being cued towards danger, we're cued towards peace. We're cued- Mm-hmm joy. Instead of being, um, being pushed into, like, a state of survival, like a trigger would, we're pushed into, uh, or we're prepared for, um, uh, rest, for relaxation- Mm-hmm for good digestion. Um, and so it sparks positivity. It decreases our heart rate, um, which is very different, right, than when you consider, uh, a-

James 32:46

Yes

Andrea 32:47

a trigger. So a glimmer might be, um Oh, okay. So a glimmer might be, um, uh, an eastern bluebird for me is just- Hm um, a beautiful bird. It is a rare bird for me to see around here, but it is, um... Have you seen one?

James 33:07

I don't think so.

Andrea 33:08

They're spectacular. They're a cousin of the robin. They're littler- Hm and they make smaller, um, their songs are s- are quieter, but their wings are, like, periwinkle. They're just, uh, they're beautiful. Hm. And, um, when I saw one, it took my breath away, and I was like, "Oh, thank you, Lord." And so whenever I needed s- a reminder of beauty, I'd ask for a bluebird, and I'd get my bluebird every time. Amazing. Like, I'm a greedy- Wow little baby, but I always get one. But there was a par- particular day that I was feeling really triggered, um, for a lot of different reasons, and every part of me was just... I- I think my insides were battling to freeze, to flee, to fight. I, I didn't even know. Um, it's just a lot of stuff all at once. I felt like I was under attack, and I'm just walking the house praying, walking around the house praying, and sure enough, not one, not two, but four eastern bluebirds come and just- Wow rest on the branch, and I'm watching it, and I was like, "That is a glimmer."

James 34:12

Mm. Some- So beautiful

Andrea 34:16

something that just makes you pause, like, makes you take it in. Um, you know, the weight of triggers is, is... That's the beauty of the posture of our bodies, right? The weight of triggers can really just weigh you down. It can be- Mm-hmm to the floor, but when you give glimmers and start to look for glimmers and allow them to bring you peace, allow them to settle your heart rate, well, it starts to tip the scale a bit, right? So you've got these two open hands. Mm. Lord, this life is hard, and I have experienced some stuff, and it's heavy, and also, thank you for this beauty.

James 34:57

Mm.

Andrea 34:58

Thank you for this amazing taste. Thank you for this smell. Thank you for this experience that, that, that tips the scale a bit.

James 35:07

Well, again, I, I think for Peter, I think the catch of fish was a glimmer. It's like God is a God of grace and abundance, and he's provided fish for me before. You know, Jesus first, first time we met, or maybe not first time they met, but when he called me to be his disciple, he gave me this miraculous catch of fish. I think, too, of, um, for Saint Ignatius, consolation and desolation.

Andrea 35:32

Hmm.

James 35:32

Uh, uh, there's so much more to this than I currently understand, but for Ignatius, when you're trying to discern what's of the Lord, he says, "Look for consolation." And I would call that a form of a glimmer. Look for the love of God. Specifically, um, look for that which draws you deeper into the love of God. So even if you're about to make a hard decision, but you have a sense that this is actually... Maybe you're even gonna choose the harder thing, but you have a sense that that's where you're gonna grow, that's where you get to love God in the most fullness or the most whatever, that, that would be an example of consolation. Versus in desolation, which isn't terribly different than what we think of as a trigger, desolation's not the place to make, like, a life-changing decision for Ignatius. I- it's not even just make the opposite decision of where you feel desolation. It's like, don't make a decision, just hang tight. Mm. Um, help is on the way. Wait for those glimmers of the Lord, if you will. So yeah, this idea that God doesn't just leave us in this world of so many triggers from our wounds, from our traumas, but actually has glimmers where he's trying to show us his love, his delight, um, his faithfulness. Mm.

Andrea 36:43

And, and I've definitely described ones that are super s- particular to me.

James 36:47

Yeah.

Andrea 36:47

Right? Yeah. They're Andrea-sized glimmers and Andrea-sized tri- triggers. But the beauty of this, the, the power in this, the truth in this, is that there are James glimmers and James triggers. Mm-hmm. They are our right size, detailed enough to each one of us, uh, because that is the vastness of the God that we love and serve. Mm. And he is after not only our healing, but for us to say yes to these invitations that are increasing our heart rate and making us feel like we're in danger, connecting us to our past. He wants to answer the questions we have there, and then move into places of safety and rest-

James 37:28

Hmm

Andrea 37:29

beauty and goodness.

James 37:31

And that's what his kingdom ultimately will be. I mean, his kingdom- Mm is now and not yet. Many of you have probably heard that term, where Jesus did come to bring the kingdom, and it's not here in its fullness. We still live in a world of sickness and death and pain. But those glimmers of beauty, those glimmers of consolation, those glimmers of God's love are reminders that- He's gonna be making this thing right. He's, he's, uh, he's, he's, he's in the business of new creation, of beauty from ashes. So Andrea, a place where I imagine y'all will be pursuing God's glimmers will be at the Sacred by Design retreat. Uh, so this October we

Retreats And A Closing Prayer

James 38:10

have our annual retreats, uh, Awaken for Men, uh, two, two overnight, Friday through Sunday retreat, and Sacred by Design retreat, which I think is, uh, this year it's Friday into Saturday, or maybe Friday's optional.

Andrea 38:24

Friday's optional. We always like to get together just the night before and for whoever's staying over night, but we are that full Saturday, and it is a jam-packed Saturday. It's awesome.

James 38:34

Te- tell us about the glimmers, uh, women can expect- Mm-hmm at Sacred by Design retreat.

Andrea 38:38

So this year, we always have a theme, and this year our theme is to remain. Um, and, um, what remain means and what remain does not mean. Um- Mm so what does it look like for these women to come in and lay everything down and just be loved on, to, um, experience, uh, delicious food, uh, deep connection, um, really good care I, I just, I get excited and I don't wanna give anything away 'cause we've been planning all these little- Our worship is so good. Like, ah, it's so good. So, um-

James 39:18

Well, and only, I think only 15 slots for women. Yeah. I think, uh, I believe, will you, Kyle, and Ann all be there?

Andrea 39:24

Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

James 39:25

So this is for women who have- are experiencing unwanted sexual behaviors, but also women who have experienced betrayal. Um, it's, it's a... Especially the Saturday, you know, the main bulk of the retreat is, is a day of beauty and rest from what I understand. Waking will be a little different. We're gonna be going into some wounds and doing a lot of prayer, and, uh, Josh Glazer, who runs our ministry, phenomenal teacher, will be planning... At least the current plan is to- for him to teach every session for the men. I believe we have, uh, 30 openings, uh, or 30 slots available for the men's retreat, two night- two nights overnight. Um, but both are gonna be awesome in their own ways, and healing, places of healing and encountering Jesus. So Andrea, any, any final word that you wanna share related to navigating triggers in the spirit, and then would you pray for us?

Andrea 40:17

Hmm. Any final words. Um, you know, I wonder if just even considering the open-handed posture, um, keeping your hands open, um, and considering that these triggers can feel heavy, and also, "God, would you fill this hand with some glimmers?" You know- Mm "Help me balance out this weight." Um, and I love considering a trigger an invitation. It's, it's not a Pollyanna look for the positive in it, it's, "God, what do you see here? What do you wanna say here?" Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, and be willing to wait for the answer. Wait for the bluebirds, wait for the delicious fish sizzling on the charcoal fire because Jesus is in the business of rewriting these stories for beauty, for wholeness, for each one of us. Um- Mm-hmm. Oh, Heavenly Father, thank you for this time. Thank you for all the men and women listening, and Lord, uh, you know, you know the triggers that can bubble up to the surface even as we just talk about them So God, would you help these men and women identify what is coming up, where it's coming up And I pray that they say yes to your invitation to healing these wounds, uh, even further. You are the Good Shepherd. Um, you are the Good Shepherd who claims us as your sheep, and you, you tend to us, you tend to our wounds. You wanna make sure nothing's festering. You wanna clean those wounds so that... Or carry us as we need it, feed us, give us water, give us rest And God, thank you because you are God that you give us, uh, glimmers. So I pray for opportunities, um, for light. Pray for opportunities for peace and for joy, and that the men and women listening would have eyes, ears, noses, mouths, hands available and ready to consider, uh, what you wanna place there for them Lord, thank you that we carry in us the death of Jesus and also the resurrection life of Jesus in our bodies. Bless our bodies. Bless our minds and our hearts as we do this hard work of being men and women on this earth who are moving towards being whole one day at a time. Amen.