If our recollections of trauma are only thought of as the pain from past experiences, we are missing the hope that is available to all of us. Post Traumatic Growth is defined as transformation following trauma which leads a person to positive growth. PTG reminds us that the negative effects of trauma don’t have the final say.

The brain’s ability to change and the chance at lifelong trauma show just how far the impacts of trauma can go. Trauma plays the long game, having both immediate and long-term symptoms. These symptoms show the need for traumatic experiences to be addressed.

The importance of understanding trauma, lies in the effects that trauma has. A traumatic experience may only last for a short moment, but the effects can span through the rest of a person’s life.

The growing talk about trauma is a worthy conversation. All humans experience trauma. But trauma is a dense subject. A specific experience may be traumatic to one person & that very same experience may not be traumatic for another. So how can trauma truly be distinguished?

Christ is not only a generous giver, but an intentional, intuitive, & consistent one. James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” God knows what we want & more importantly, what we need, even more than we do. Christ assures us, “I do not give to you as the world gives” [John 14:27].

Plans. We make them & sometimes we speak about them, yet we often end up uttering the infamous phrase “things didn’t go as planned.” We are encouraged to take comfort in the fact that God has a plan, yet we are discouraged by our lack of knowing His plans. How could UnSPEAKable Plans be a cause for hope?

We have come to see that every staff member, every volunteer, every board member & participant has taken a chance on the possibility of hope from journeying through the wreckage of an abortion into a place of healing. In turn, this hope provided has allowed many to share the hope they now possess.

As men, we are often taught to stuff our feelings and get on with our life. It is generally thought to be a sign of weakness to display emotions of sadness, regret, or remorse. Many men suffer in silence with the after-effects of an abortion, not even dealing with it in the context of their relationship with their spouse

We have seen clear evidence of God’s mercy on us as a nation with the monumental reversal of the Roe V. Wade decision this last month. We are simultaneously thankful for God’s kindness but know that our work continues with added urgency and necessity. From our vantage point at If Not For Grace Ministries, we have seen an increase of intakes, a need for education, and plentiful opportunities to resource churches and ministries.

We often get questions from people who haven’t experienced abortion firsthand, but are eager to equip themselves with the necessary tools to help someone else. The first and most important step is prayer … Another crucial aspect of helping a post-abortive individual is understanding them—learning more about their mindset and pain and the way they think and react to this topic.