(S3:E7) How God healed a “performing Christian” from past trauma and abuse

OCF Crosspoint Podcast

This episode of OCF Crosspoint is a chance to hear from CDR Carl Crabtree, USN (Ret.), who currently serves with his wife, Christy, as the OCF Field Staff Representative at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

A man on a mission in this episode to share how God has healed him from “PTSD, trauma, moral injury, habitual sin,” Carl shares about his experiences as a foster-to-adopt kid and onward. While the conversation doesn’t get overly detailed or specific, please be advised to listen with care or listen to a different episode altogether if you are still healing from your own past trauma.

Carl pulls from countless personal experiences as an officer in the Navy, a leader in his local church, a husband to his wife, and others, reflecting on how God worked through hardship in all those circumstances to deepen his relationship with Him.

Along the way, the Lord redefined and brought to life some commonly used Christian terms like forgiveness, grace, and trust for Carl. In addition to biblical passages and relationships with friends and family, Carl mentions a few resources that aided his walk with the Lord, linked below:

• Victory Over the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson of Freedom in Christ Ministries
• How People Change by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp
• The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning

If you would like to share your own story, complete the form on OCF’s “Be a Guest” webpage. Alternatively, if you have an idea for a guest or topic I should consider for a future episode of the show, send an email to [email protected].

As you listen to this conversation with Carl, here are a few questions to ponder in your personal time, with a small group, or with a mentor:

1. What do you turn to as a means of escape from difficult life circumstances?
2. How would you describe the tone of your conversations with God when He brings hardship your way?
3. Why is it vital to read Ephesians in its entirety rather than focus on one half of the book?
4. Carl talks about approaching his military career and his walk with the Lord with a “performer” mentality. In what area of your own life do you find yourself being a performer?
5. Despite the distractions of the world, how do you stay focused on your own identity in Christ?
6. When have you seen the Lord use your vulnerability to impact others?