“What do you do with a traumatized elephant?” seems like the start of a joke, but an August 15 article in the Dallas Morning News (written by James C. McKinley, Jr.) brought up that exact question. The debate was over whether to send Jenny (a 32-year-old African elephant) to a 300 acre drive-through park in Mexico or a 2,700 acre sanctuary in Tennessee.
Jenny had been orphaned, “stolen” from Africa, sent to the circus in the USA and beaten by her trainer. The experience left her with mental problems which resulted in self-mutilation and depression. For the past 22 years, Jenny has been given humane and loving care by the Dallas Zoo.
The debate was about whether she should live out her “last years” in seclusion, considering what human beings have put her through. Elephants have about the same average life-span as human beings (70-80 years). Jenny may have many years left to live with her emotional scars.
If you’ve ever watched the Dog Whisperer, you know that traumatized dogs can be rehabilitated. If we can go by the movie The Horse Whisperer it seems that the same goes for traumatized horses. So, I wonder why, after 22 years of tender loving care, Jenny still has her emotional scars. Perhaps this gives credence to the old saying “an elephant never forgets.”
It is not my intent to review your responsibility to go to an injured brother to ask for forgiveness. Nor do I intend to cover the need to forgive others.
What I want to say is, after the forgiveness occurs, after the war is over, after amends have been made, there is still the trauma and emotional scars in need of healing. You and God have to deal with those.
The book of Jonah deals with this subject. Jonah had some hurt feelings and reason to be a bit depressed about the forgiveness of Ninevah, knowing, as he did, that they would ultimately oppress his people. God dealt with Jonah privately, teaching him a lesson through the miracle of the gourd about compassion.
Jonah had to be willing to learn, be willing to let go, and be open to God’s teaching. Otherwise, the hurt and trauma he felt could have haunted him for the rest of his life.
People do mean, ugly things, sometimes deliberately. When they repent, when reconciliation and forgiveness occurs, sometimes there is still healing to be done that only God can do. I encourage you to seek His healing for all your emotional needs. Don’t carry them around for the rest of your life and let them influence your behavior. You are the one that is hurt by that, more than any other.
God is the Human Whisperer. Only He can rehabilitate traumatized humans. And He will if you seek His healing.
With love,
Nancy
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