ASKING FOR HELP - A STEP TO HEALING & RESTORATION

Linda sat in her car outside the grocery store, staring at the steering wheel. She had meant to go inside, to pick up the items on her list, but instead, she sat there, frozen. 

It was a feeling she had grown accustomed to—a tightness in her chest, a lump in her throat, an invisible weight pressing down on her.

She needed help. She knew it. But saying the words out loud felt impossible.

At 56, Linda had spent a lifetime being the strong one. The one who held everything together, who put others first, who carried burdens without complaint. She had raised a family, supported her husband’s career, managed a household, and been the reliable friend, the dependable daughter. She had learned, somewhere along the way, that her needs came second—if they mattered at all.

But lately, the cracks were showing. The exhaustion wasn’t just physical anymore. It lived in her bones, in her thoughts, in the way she avoided mirrors because she barely recognized the woman staring back. The sadness, the anxiety, the overwhelming sense of being lost—it was all there, waiting just beneath the surface. And yet, when she thought about reaching out, about telling someone she was struggling, an immediate wall of guilt and fear rose up inside her.

What if people thought she was weak? 

What if they dismissed her feelings, told her she had nothing to be upset about? 

What if they saw her as a burden? 

She had spent decades proving she could handle anything—what would happen if she admitted that, right now, she couldn’t?

So, she stayed silent. She pushed through. She put on the practiced smile and said, “I’m fine,” when asked. And in the quiet moments, when she was alone with her thoughts, she wondered how much longer she could keep pretending.

The truth was, Linda wasn’t alone.

So many women reach a point in life where the weight of unspoken struggles becomes too much to bear. But years of being caregivers, problem-solvers, and silent sufferers have taught them that asking for help is a luxury they can’t afford.

But what if that wasn’t true?

What if asking for help wasn’t weakness, but strength? What if vulnerability wasn’t a burden, but a bridge? What if, instead of believing she had to do it all alone, Linda allowed herself to be seen, to be heard, to be supported?

Maybe she wasn’t ready to say the words out loud just yet. But she could take one step. A phone call to a therapist. A journal entry admitting the truth to herself. A conversation with a trusted friend that started with, “I think I need help.”

Linda gripped the steering wheel, took a deep breath, and reached for her phone. Maybe today, she would take that first step. Maybe today, she would remind herself that she was just as worthy of care as the people she had spent a lifetime caring for.

Am I Ready to Begin Healing?

Our 7 gentle, reflective questions are meant to help you pause, listen to your heart, and begin to discern where you are on your journey—and where God may be inviting you next. Click here to take the quiz