LIGHT THE WAY

Somewhere along the way, the word triggered became something negative—something to avoid, something to blame on someone else.

But what if being triggered isn’t the problem?

What if it’s the invitation?

In Psalm 139, it says,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart…”

That is not avoidance.
That is awareness.

Because when you are triggered, something within you is being revealed—
not created.

And if we are made in the image of God, as seen in Genesis 1:27,
then what is being revealed is connected to the I Am within you—
the part of you that reflects God’s presence.

Not all triggers hurt.

Some feel like peace.
Some feel like clarity.
Some feel like truth.

You’ve met people who:

That’s not random.

That is recognition.

In Exodus 3:14, God says,
“I AM WHO I AM.”

So when you encounter truth, peace, or alignment in someone else—
it is the I Am within you recognizing the I Am within them.

In Matthew 5:16, it says:
“Let your light shine before others…”

That light is God’s.

And when it is reflected back to you—
it calls you higher.

Then there are the triggers that don’t feel good.

The ones that bring:

It’s easy to say, “They made me feel this way.”

But what if they didn’t create it?

What if they revealed where the I Am is being covered—
by fear, by pain, by past experiences?

In James 1:2-4, it says:
“The testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

These moments are not punishments.

They are invitations to uncover what is blocking alignment
with who you truly are.

The people in your life are not your enemies or your saviors.

They are reflections.

Some reflect where you are aligned.
Some reflect where you are disconnected.
Some reflect parts of the I Am within you that you have not fully recognized.

In Proverbs 27:19, it says:
“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”

Every reaction is information.

Every interaction is revealing something deeper.

If others reflect something back to you—

You are doing the same.

The way you speak, respond, show up, or withdraw
is reflecting something back to the people around you.

In Luke 6:45, it says:
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

So ask yourself:

What is flowing from me?

Am I reflecting:

Because what you carry—
others experience.

Taking responsibility is not about blame.

It is about alignment.

In Matthew 7:3-5, it says:
“First take the plank out of your own eye…”

Because the same way others can trigger you—
you can trigger others.

Growth requires honesty on both sides.

It would be easier if this was about other people.

But it’s not.

It’s about asking:

In Galatians 5:1, it says:
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

Freedom comes from truth.

And truth begins within.

There will be times when you do the work.

You show up with love.
You choose patience.
You act with integrity.

And it still doesn’t work.

That does not mean you failed.

In Romans 12:18, it says:
“As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Not everything depends on you.

Every person has free will.

They can meet you—or not.

In Deuteronomy 30:19, it says:
“Choose life.”

We are all choosing.

Sometimes those choices don’t align.

And when they don’t, relationships end—
even when there was love.

It’s easy to walk away questioning your worth.

But not everything that ends is a loss.

Some things are alignment.

In Isaiah 55:8-9, it says:
“My ways are higher than your ways.”

What is meant for you:

Across cultures, across beliefs, across different ways of understanding the world—
there is a shared thread.

Not identical language.
Not identical practices.

But a shared understanding:

What we experience is connected to what we carry.
And how we show up matters.

In Buddhism, there is the understanding that suffering is shaped by perception and attachment.

So ask:
Am I seeing clearly—or through what I expected things to be?

In Hinduism, karma reflects that what we put into the world returns.

So consider:
What am I reflecting—and what will return to me?

In Islam, there is trust that what is meant for you will not pass you by.

So reflect:
Am I trusting what is unfolding—or resisting it?

Across many Indigenous cultures—including the Lakota people and the Navajo Nation there are teachings centered on balance, relationship, and responsibility.

While each culture is distinct, many hold this understanding:

Life is relational.

So ask yourself:
Am I in right relationship—with myself, with others, with the world around me?
Am I contributing to balance—or reacting from imbalance?

And in Proverbs 4:23, it says:
“Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Different expressions.
Different paths.

But one connection:

The I Am exists within all of us.

It is what allows us to recognize truth in one another.
It is what connects us beyond background, belief, or experience.

And when we begin to see that—

We stop dividing.
We start understanding.

We start recognizing:

We are reflecting the same source—
in different ways.

When something ends, you have a choice.

You can carry resentment.

Or you can say:

I showed up with love.
I acted with integrity.
I honored who I am.

In Galatians 6:7, it says:
“A man reaps what he sows.”

What you put into the world returns.

You don’t have to leave relationships bitter.

You can leave with peace.

Knowing:

And trusting:

What is meant for you
will meet you there.

This week, pause when you feel triggered and ask:

God,

Thank You for the I Am within me
and within those around me.

Give me the wisdom to recognize
what is being revealed.

Help me respond with truth,
walk in alignment,
and release what is not meant for me.

Let every interaction bring me closer to You.

Amen.

Not every trigger is a problem.

Some are revelation.

And when you begin to see it clearly—

You realize:

You’re not just reacting to people.

You are responding
to what God is revealing
through them.

In solidarity,
Lyndsay LaBrier
Merchant Ship Collective
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