I Should Be Over This: When the Storm Passes but You're Still Spinningنموونە

“What's wrong with me? The worst is over. I should be over this by now." Have you said this to yourself? Maybe even in the last few days? If so, you need to hear this...

You're not broken. You're disoriented. This part of going through a trial is real and normal…but rarely talked about.

We’re going to start by looking at what Noah went through after the 40-day flood to help us understand what we’re going through.

Most of us know very little about what comes after the forty days of flooding in Noah's story. In fact, the events that follow are often left out of the traditional telling. Yet what happens from day 41 until the rainbow appears is probably the most gripping and relatable part of Noah's testimony. (Did you know he was stuck in the ark for another 330 days? The whole story is recorded in Genesis 7:1-8:15.)

After the flooding stopped, the water level remained unchanged for almost sixteen weeks longer. (See Genesis 7:18-24 NIV.) That's 110 days of free-floating.

Take that in. Staying anywhere 110 days longer than expected would do anyone in, let alone on a boat under these conditions. Even worse, there is no port or harbor to set one's sight on—no direction to go or vision for the future. (Can you relate?)

The water rose over 22 feet above the highest mountains. There wouldn't be solid, dry ground to stand on any time soon.

On top of this, Noah, his family, and the animals had never been in a torrential storm before. No one had experience in developing "sea legs." Imagine the sea sickness, the stench, the rocking and rolling, the stale air. It’s a lot. Noah had little control over his circumstances. (How about you?)

There’s a name for the experience that comes immediately after a trial: disorientation. It’s the period of time when we lose our bearings, leaving us feeling vulnerable, ungrounded, and dysregulated. We don't know if we're coming or going. Time itself becomes a blur. We feel like we’re free-floating.

Why does disorientation hit after a crisis? During the storm, adrenaline and survival mode carry us. But once we're "safe," our bodies and souls finally have permission to react to what we've been through.

Feeling disoriented isn't weakness—it's our system finally letting down and beginning to process the traumatic event.

During the crisis, you had focus—get through this and survive. Now? You can't even remember what you walked into a room for. During the trial, people checked on you constantly. Now? The texts have stopped but you're still spinning.

We may feel like we’re living in a deep fog or a constant nauseated state. We need fresh air but can't find it. We need a break, but it never comes or lasts long enough.

It's the time after the event—that we didn't plan for or expect—that can throw the biggest blow to our hope and knock us off our center.

This is when we’re especially vulnerable, putting pressure on ourselves to “be over it” when in reality, the trial continues. Its devastation is mostly personal now and less obvious to the outside world. Others usually can't see it. The initial blow has ended, but not in its entirety. Like a boat cutting through water, the trial has passed, but the wake is significant.

If you still can't see straight from the wake of your trial, know this: Jesus sees the devastation of our heart and is praying for you.

Hebrews 7:25 (NCV) says "So he is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them." May this verse comfort you.

Over the next few days, we will learn how to cope and hope when we feel ungrounded.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I am still spinning from the storm. The wake of what I'm going through feels unbearable. I feel untethered. Be my anchor and secure hope. Amen.

Remember, feeling disoriented after a trauma is real and normal. We'll dive more into this tomorrow and learn about the temptation we're likely to face.

[In this 5-day Bible Plan, we’re covering what’s considered the fourth phase of a trial, based on the story of Noah and the flood. If you’d like to learn about all ten phases, go to survivingepictrials.com.]