I’m convinced that every time I write a blog, God looks at it and says, “Let’s see if she’s really learned this one.”
Two weeks ago, right after publishing the post on the fear of flying, I found myself saying, “I feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck.”

The last time I said that? 2020.
The year COVID tried to come for me, and I spent eight painful days in the hospital.

Then, while feeling absolutely miserable on Friday, I saw two lines on a COVID test.
And for a split second, probably thanks to the delirium, I thought, “Wow, pregnant at 54. This should be fun.”

But once the fog cleared, the memories from 2020 came rushing back.
The struggle to breathe, the uncertainty, the constant fight to keep my lungs working.
It was like I was right back in that hospital bed.

This is what I call the Trigger Trap.
Something familiar happens, and suddenly your brain rewinds.
Your mind jumps back to a time when things didn’t go well.
Even though it’s not the same situation, fear tricks you into thinking you’re going to live through it all over again.

Triggers often hit when we least expect them.
You’re in a conversation, and a joke suddenly stings because it takes you right back to an old wound. Or you see someone who once hurt you, and all those emotions come rushing back. Even something as routine as a doctor’s appointment can remind you of a health scare that shook you.

Suddenly, you’re right there again.
Pulled into emotions you thought were behind you.
But those feelings, no matter how strong they may feel, are rooted in the past.
They are not your present reality.
You are not living the same story again.
They don’t define where you are now or where you’re headed.

The truth is, the fear I felt was real.
The memories of 2020 were accurate.
But I wasn’t in that hospital bed anymore.
And I wasn’t living that story again.
That chapter had already been written, and it didn’t get to have a sequel.

When you’re triggered by something that caused you pain in the past, remind yourself: “That was then, this is now.”
Even if it feels like you’re stepping back into the past, you’re not. The situation might look the same, but it doesn’t have to control you like it may have before.

Next, shift your focus.
Don’t dive into the “what ifs” and worst-case scenarios.
Remind yourself that God was, is, and always will be faithful to you. That simple truth can break the hold fear has on your mind.

God does not live in the old chapters of your life.
Nor should you.
Triggers may try to pull you back, but you’ve outgrown that story.
It’s time to live in the new one He’s writing for you