If you're holding this book in your hands, you've probably experienced or witnessed trauma firsthand.
Or maybe a family member or loved one has had such an experience.
So, you may be hoping to find healing and change from the pain of trauma through books on this topic.
But at the same time, there may be a desire not to remember the trauma again, a desire to just bury it as if it were something that happened in the past.
There may be times when you don't know what to do or how to deal with the wounds that still remain in a corner of your heart, even though you want to bury them.

Considering that reality, picking up this book and beginning to consider the topic of trauma now is a courageous step toward recovery.
Perhaps this very moment is a special providential moment for God to heal our trauma.


People who suffer from trauma do not get rid of their pain overnight.
So it's trauma.
A problem that can be overcome in a short period of time is not a trauma.
They need enough time to grieve.
True healing and growth only occur after sufficient time of mourning has passed.
In the middle of darkness, you can't see your surroundings at all.
Only when we look back after passing through that darkness can we see the grace and providence of God that was with us even in that darkness.

--- p.32

Trauma is not an opportunity.
Trauma is a wound and a pain.
It is not trauma, but God's grace that overcomes evil with good that changes us.
God's power to do good despite trauma is what renews us.
Trauma is not an opportunity, God is our opportunity.
Trauma is not the stepping stone to maturity; God is the source of maturity.

--- p.37

The pain of trauma must be heard and empathized with.
Our lives must be restored and renewed.
God's providence beyond trauma and His work of working all things together for good must be revealed in our lives.
Trauma issues can be addressed safely and healthily in the presence of God and within a community of faith.
Don't bury that problem and that pain.
Don't suffer alone.
You are never alone.
The pain of one brother or sister is the pain of the entire community, one body in Christ.
I hope that with Christ and with our community, we can look into this issue and begin a journey of recovery, transformation, and growth.

--- p.60-61

It is Christ who saves His children from trauma, and it is Christ who all believers must become like in the midst of trauma.
Christ is the perfection of humanity, the one we should emulate in all circumstances.
Christ experienced the traumatic event of the cross from a human perspective, yet he showed no signs of trauma.
Therefore, being conformed to the image of Christ is God's healing method that allows us to experience recovery and growth even in the midst of trauma and to give glory to God.

--- p.89-90

We can find the answer to that question when we meditate on Christ's silent suffering on the cross.
Christ's silence in suffering does not mean that He abandons us in our suffering.
Rather, it represents the “fullness of presence” in which He shares our suffering.
Christ's silence on the cross carries a powerful therapeutic meaning, showing that He never leaves those who are speechless due to the pain of trauma alone, but rather bears the weight of their suffering with them.

So we can avoid falling under the weight of trauma.
You can live as a saint, strong and courageous, even in the midst of trauma.
Because God has been with us from the beginning until now, and will never leave us for even a moment, throughout eternity.
There is no suffering in this world outside of God's providence.

--- p.103

When we acknowledge and accept our weaknesses, we can humbly invite God's work into our lives.
If we can accept our wounds as a part of life and use them as tools for the healing and transformation of others, or for God's providence, then our traumatic experiences, even though they are painful and something we never want to experience again, can become instruments for the glory of God.
Recovery and growth cannot be achieved through denial or avoidance.
Recovery and growth are only possible when we confront the nature of trauma and accept it into our lives.
…For a saint who practices Christ-likeness in this way, the traces of trauma become traces of the cross.
The trauma of the saints is like the nail and spear marks engraved on the body of Christ.

--- p.137-138

When do we most clearly experience the grace of forgiveness of sins? That moment is when we encounter Jesus Christ on the cross.
When we realize that the sinless Christ did not condemn us sinners but rather died on the cross for us, we finally realize how great our sins are and how great His grace is toward us.

When someone points out our sins, no matter how gently, we become defensive out of shame and guilt.
But when we are moved by the love and forgiveness of Him who died on the cross for our sins, we let go of our attempts to deny or hide our sins and face them clearly before Him.
Furthermore, as we mourn over His suffering on the cross, we develop an emotional abhorrence for our own sins.
Only when we recognize sin and come to hate it can we truly begin to take concrete steps to eliminate sinful behavior from our lives.
--- p.156-157

Legal forgiveness is not our right, but God's sovereignty alone.
Therefore, legal forgiveness must be left to God, the just Judge.
Psychological forgiveness is the practice of laying down your anger, hatred, and revenge before the cross of Christ, thereby not only releasing the person who has hurt you from your negative feelings, but also freeing yourself from the yoke of negative emotions that you experience when you do not forgive.
Relational forgiveness is not something you can practice alone.
Relational forgiveness is an unsafe option when attempted without a genuine apology, responsible change, or appropriate reparations from the offender, as it can lead to secondary trauma.

Therefore, in the midst of the reality of trauma, the form of forgiveness we must practice in practice is to leave legal forgiveness to God, to practice it wisely while recognizing that relational forgiveness is not always possible, and to free ourselves from the swamp of negative emotions through psychological forgiveness.

--- p.187-188

When we were in the midst of trauma, we needed someone to care for us.
There were times when it was difficult to endure without someone's comfort, empathy, and care.
But as we practice service, we now become people who provide care to others in Christ.
It's a new beginning, a transition from being a caregiver to a care recipient. For someone who has experienced trauma, the presence of others who are currently experiencing trauma is not just a passing stranger.
Trauma survivors know all too well the pain, injustice, and suffering that surrounds trauma.
So, I know from experience what it feels like to be in a similar situation, what difficulties they face, what needs they have, and what kind of care is appropriate.
Therefore, trauma survivors can provide deeper empathy, comfort, and specific care than anyone else.

--- p.208-209

We, the saints, are the church, the one body of Christ.
The trauma experienced by one member of the church is not separate from the experience of the community.
A trauma problem in one individual is a problem for the entire community.
In this context, trauma survivors awaken a sense of community, a community that practices love and care for one another by forming the church as the body of Christ, and awaken the church's prophetic mission toward the kingdom of God, confronting the evil structures and culture prevalent in today's society and reforming them.
Therefore, when the church faces the issue of trauma in one member, it must reflect on its role and mission as a community and practice concrete care, service, and reform.
The church must be able to share the pain and suffering of its members, care for one another, and practice God's grace and love.

--- p.230

What those who suffer need is not an intellectual debate about theodicy.
What they truly need is not some interpretation, but comfort and empathy, a safe space to grieve, genuine relationships, and real care.
The intellectual theodicy debate in the face of the reality of trauma is like making the same mistake that Job's friends made when he was suffering.

The essence of the problem of theodicy is practical rather than intellectual.
If so, the issue of theodicy should be approached not through rational debate, but through practice, revealing God's goodness and omnipotence even in the midst of evil.
This approach is called 'practical theodicy'.

--- p.242

Christian pathology helps us understand and diagnose the multidimensional human created order that trauma disrupts.
Christian pathology is a holistic diagnostic system for human pathology that seriously explores the legacy of the Christian tradition, centering on the Bible, and critically and constructively utilizes the rational findings of modern psychology within the context of creative grace.

Christian pathology is based on a biblical understanding of the world, which God created as good but has been distorted by the Fall, yet which God still operates within His providence.
This approach avoids either a naturalistic perspective that ignores spiritual reality or an extreme spiritual reductionism that rejects all secular perspectives.
In other words, the Christian pathological approach has a perspective that critically and constructively utilizes the natural scientific understanding of human beings within the scope of common grace, centered on the revelation of the Bible.

--- p.261-262

There has never been a moment in our lives when God was not present, when God was not the Lord.
Even in times of suffering, God is with us, and beyond suffering, He has a secret and amazing providence.
When we look at suffering within the context of God's providence, we see the greatness of God working even in suffering, hear God's voice speaking even in suffering, and experience God's love comforting, protecting, and healing us in the midst of suffering.
The abundant life of a Christian is not a life without suffering or problems.
The abundant life of a saint is one in which one experiences God's love and care even in such circumstances and walks with God in the Word and the Holy Spirit.

--- p.295-296