If there is one thing I have learned since March it is that isolation is dangerous. For the sake of clarity, I have learned a boatload of things since March.
However, the biggest thing I have come to learn is that isolation is dangerous.
When you isolate from the world truly only bad things happen.
For me, personally, my anxiety spun out of control. I was not able to sleep, I couldn't focus, if I ever saw people I was not able to be present. I could not pour into my kids, I have rude to my husband because I was always on edge.
when I stopped focusing on myself and trying to seem like everything started to change.
I learned this when I battled Depression - which you can read about if you so desire in my book. When I finally told people I was able to bring it into the light and my thoughts started to lose power.
No, I was not healed instantly, not at all, but I started to see that I could be free.
Friends, we are simply not meant to be alone in isolation. It is not, at all, how we are wired. I think when we're home and not seeing people (for any reason) we start to think only about our problems, and things seem a lot heavier. We might even start to get comfortable not reaching out. But the world - YOUR WORLD needs YOU.
When I started to look outside of myself (even though I was sad about the world at large if I am honest I was worried about how that would affect me and the people in my life) So I would look into my world around me and see how I could meet needs.
This is why when we stop communicating and meeting with other people we get self-centered and our minds can SPIRAL!
Even something as simple as meeting a friend to walk and talk about HER life. How her marriage is, how her kids are, starting to plan for homeschooling, her walk with Jesus. ANYTHING.
That is when I started to feel lighter.
Because even though the world shut down we still have our baggage and our junk to deal with. and when I was with people and not talking or thinking about myself and things I have zero control over. THINGS HAPPENED. People opened up to me. When I would see people our conversations would turn to Jesus and their lives.
Beyond 2020 isolation. we need friends. we need community. we need to do like with people. and NOT - please hear me - NOT on a surface level.
This is something I am SO passionate about.
If you were to tell someone "hey. my marriage is struggling" I would HOPE you have a friend that would know they don't have to have all the answers or ANY of the answers - but would point you to The One who does.
Jesus. His Word (The Bible)
I hope that you will have a friend that would be able to point you to a resource, counseling, or a book to help you. and then walk with you through it. "Let's get this book and read it together. We can call every week or 2 weeks and talk about it." Or "you get that book and I can check-in and see if you are." Or gosh, what if you offered to watch their kids for a night so they can go on a date.
Don't get this twisted. Your friends cannot FIX your marriage. Or any of your problems. And some of them are going to be above their pay grade. But I hope that can rally around you in some way to support you in your struggle and point you to Jesus.
We can't do life alone. We were never meant to. So please stop isolating yourself. Reach out to someone today. PRAY and ASK GOD for a community if you don't have one.
If you would like to read more thoughts on this subject please check out these past blogs of mine No mom is an island and No mom is an island 2
Stay tuned to read more on this subject, as well!
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