As I continue to get healthier with my mental wellness, I’m becoming more self aware, especially more aware of the personal walls I used to put up around myself as a defense mechanism. 

I would sit in my own personal cell with the walls I made. I couldn’t see at the time that isolating myself was keeping me away from any possible help, from those on the outside. 

I would say my walls I put up were similar to glass, one could see in and see that I was struggling,  but couldn’t reach me. I understand it more now when I see friends going through the same, the person getting frustrated on the outside, but not knowing the pain that is eating apart the person within. 

The Christian band Close Your Eyes has a song called “No Borders” which says, “Your walls are building boundaries that reinforce.” I have to admit that my walls that I put up did end up being pretty thick, which made tearing them down later that much harder. 

In today’s verse, the writer Isaiah talks about how the Lord will not forget us during our affliction. He sees those walls that we put up, the troubled times that we are going through, and most importantly, He sees us. He is saying, put your trust in Me, and I will show you that I can help.

It’s not easy for the wounded to trust, but if we can, the Lord will take your hand and help chip away at those walls with you. Recently I was trying to break down my own social walls, and once I let the Lord take control, He showed me the possibilities I had been missing out on. 

In the moment I found myself asking, “Is this really happening?” The Lord in His own way replied, “It is.”

(If you are also struggling with mental health, here are some resources you may find helpful: https://tinyurl.com/4v7ptr4t. If you find yourself in crisis, please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free, 24-hour hotline, at 988, or at 1.800.273.8255.)