Trigger Warning: We want to let our listeners know that this episode includes mentions of physical abuse. If you are sensitive to this topic, we recommend you listen with caution.
Trauma is one of the hardest challenges to navigate in life. Whether it’s impacting you or someone you love, it can be easy to wish that trauma could be erased in an instant. But our latest guest’s powerful story reminds us that healing doesn’t happen with the snap of a finger. It takes the steady presence of others, the patience to water seeds we can’t yet see growing, and the courage to keep seeking God—even in the darkest moments.
After fifteen years of abuse and a childhood riddled with trauma, Austin Ludwig ended up in the foster care system until he aged out at 18. As he wrestled with the broken pieces of his past, he encountered the transformational love of Jesus and the opportunity for healing and restoration through the Gospel.
Today, Austin is a musical artist, writer and speaker who serves on staff with the WinShape Foundation.
In this episode, he shares about the brokenness in his childhood as well as the hidden beauty, why every person has an opportunity to respond to the trauma they have experienced, encouragement for foster parents who may currently have a tumultuous relationship with a child in their care, and much more!
TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY’S CONVERSATION:
1. God is present even in the hard times.
There are times in life when you may feel as if God took a day off. This usually occurs when we come face-to-face with the brokenness in the world. When we think about these dark seasons, our hearts may even cry out: Where were you, God? But as we heard in Austin’s story, in the midst of brokenness, God is always present. He provides His protection when we face trouble, even if we can’t see His hands at work in the moment.
“There is a lot of beauty woven into that brokenness.”
2. We have the opportunity to decide what to do with our trauma.
In many cases, the trauma we have experienced is not our fault. Sometimes, it is the result of someone else’s mistreatment of us. No matter where our trauma stems from, it can feel difficult to overcome when we examine the far-reaching effects this pain has on our lives. Here’s the good news: we get to decide what we will do with the trauma. We get to decide if we will repeat the cycle of trauma or if we will work to heal, overcome our past, and make a new legacy.
“At some point or another, we are given the ability to respond to and heal our trauma.”
3. There is power in presence.
In the foster care community, we see the effects of a broken world on a daily basis. And while we can’t prevent children and families from experiencing pain, trauma, and hardships, what we can do is be present in the midst of that pain. We learned in this conversation that the presence of a trusted person often has greater benefits than the removal of pain. It’s important to trust the Savior with healing the brokenness, and it’s our job to be a trusted presence.
“There is such beauty in that the presence of a person has greater benefits than just the removal of pain.”
Meet Our Guest
Austin Ludwig is a former foster youth who aged out of the foster care system. For the past 12 years, he has given his life to full-time ministry, using his testimony to inspire his artistry, writing, and public speaking opportunities. Austin serves on staff with the WinShape Foundation and is a self-produced musical artist. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing younger generations come to know Christ and hopes that God will turn other traumatic stories into life-giving testimonies. Austin lives in Atlanta with his wife of four years.
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