Coping is different than healing, although they have some things in common, such as, faith and intentionality.

As I share in Fractured Into Wholeness, in the middle of intense chaos, I relied on God to cope as faithfully and as spiritually healthy as I could. But those crisis coping strategies didn’t cancel out the healing that still had to happen and continues. Some continued healing is about the trauma itself and the processing of what it was and what impact it had. We usually can’t process traumatic events or seasons all at once. Other aspects of the healing have more to do with ripple effects, tracing back to the original trauma but more of the ongoing process of changed relationships, roles, opportunities, and responsibilities.

The healing process, as exhausting and overwhelming as it can be at times, is not all bad. Healing can be uncomfortable, as well as comforting and rewarding at times. The coping strategies we default to in a trauma will impact our healing but doesn’t determine it. At times, I find myself struggling to heal with as much intention as I coped. That seems odd to me. Perhaps it is because the healing process endures. Most the time, I choose faith and spiritual health, but not all the time.

Whether you are in a season of coping or healing, be intentional. Choose faith and spiritual health. That choice will direct your next steps well.