有一次我們教會去養老院關懷長者，一位老爺爺告訴我，幾年前他女兒開車載他來到這裡，讓他在人行道下車後，就立刻頭也不回地開車揚長而去。當時，老爺爺坐在輪椅上，根本無法起身追趕。他女兒先前是跟他說，要去一間很棒的飯店。結果，那天竟是老爺爺最後一次見到女兒。

有許多家庭都是用愛心照顧長者，而老爺爺的經歷卻大不相同。這種公然遺棄的行為，讓老爺爺飽受創傷。至今，他還會夢到那天的情景，使他從惡夢中驚醒。

千百年前，年輕的約瑟也飽受創傷（創世記37章12-36節）。他的哥哥們把他扔進坑裡，把他賣給前往埃及的商人，但「耶和華與約瑟同在」（39章2節）。雖然約瑟身處異鄉，但他仍勇敢地在主人家（7-10節）、在監獄裡，做上帝看為正確的事，而讓他深刻體會到上帝不變的愛（21節）。儘管約瑟過去受到許多傷害，但因著上帝的幫助，他所做的盡都順利（23節）。最終，約瑟被拔擢為法老的宰相，娶妻生子（41章41-52節），甚至與哥哥們和好了（45章12-15節）。

人們可能會傷害我們，但上帝永遠不會。上帝帶領我們走出傷痛的方式，或許不會像帶領約瑟那樣，但祂已應許，對我們的愛永不改變。讓我們信靠祂，跟隨祂的引導走出傷痛。

During our church outreach in a nursing home, an elderly resident told me of how his daughter had driven him there years before and simply left him on the sidewalk. In his wheelchair, Ed couldn’t get up to run after her. She’d returned to the car without looking back and had driven away. “We’re going to a nice hotel,” she’d said earlier. That day was the last time he saw her.

Vastly different in nature from the many loving family experiences of eldercare, this clear case of abuse traumatized Ed. He still has nightmares about that day. 

Centuries ago, a young man also suffered trauma (Genesis 37:12-36). Joseph’s brothers threw him into a cistern and sold him to traders going to Egypt. But “the Lord was with Joseph” (39:2). In an unfamiliar land, as he courageously did what was right in God’s eyes, both in his master’s house (vv. 7-10) and in prison, Joseph realized that God “showed him his faithful love” (v. 21 nlt). Despite the trauma of his past, Joseph was able to succeed in whatever he did because God helped him (v. 23). Eventually he became second-in-command to Pharaoh and raised a family of his own (41:41-52). Later, he even reconciled with his brothers (45:12-15).

People may hurt us, but God never will. Although He may help us heal in ways different from what He did for Joseph, He promises us His same faithful love. Let’s follow His leading as we trust Him to heal our hearts.