When the Walls Are Closing in: 5 Suggestions
There’s a pileated woodpecker pounding at the bird feeder, and Caleb stands entranced at the window. The vibrance of autumn is a distant memory, and there are long, dark weeks until the first signs of spring. As I watch Caleb by the window, I admit it to myself: The walls are closing in, and I’ve discovered no helpful escape route just yet.
What do you do when you’re in the middle of a long, dark season and can see no way out?
Today, I’ll invite you into my journey with this. We’ll also explore some practical suggestions for when it feels like the walls are closing in. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook and a library of free devotionals for the long seasons of life.
Do This When the Walls Are Closing in
Elisabath Elliot, the wife of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, often quoted a poem titled “Do the Next Thing.” A portion of the poem speaks these words:
“Fear not tomorrow, child of the King, trust that with Jesus, do the next thing. Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand, who placed it before thee with earnest command.”
I think of her words as I watch the woodpecker and long for springtime. Mostly, I feel like lying motionless on the couch this afternoon, staring mindlessly at the TV.
I utter a quiet prayer for guidance to carry us through another winter day, and before the words are fully whispered from my parted lips, the buzzer on the dryer in the basement beeps.
I think about folding laundry with reverence, and I’m reminded of Brother Lawrence, the monk known for peeling potatoes with a worshipful heart. He knew the secret to living in communion with God through the most mundane tasks.
When We Feel Stuck
You might not feel stuck inside the walls of your house, but perhaps you feel stuck in a different way.
Maybe you’re navigating the broken road of a strained relationship.
Maybe you’re climbing out of a financial crisis. You wonder how you’ll ever get your feet back on solid ground.
Perhaps you have no clue how you’re going to climb out of your bed today. You have no idea how you’re going to go through the motions for one more single day of your life.
Maybe you’re ready to throw in the towel, call it quits, and walk out the door.
I’ve walked this road as well.
How to Keep Going When the Walls Are Closing in
But here’s the thing: When I can see no way out, I can choose to wallow in the valley of discouragement, or I can take one tiny step toward the light that will lead me out of the valley.
It’s far less complicated than it often seems. If I will simply resolve to do the next thing that needs to be done, I inch my way closer to the light. And every inch closer to the light is one inch closer to the healing I’m not even sure I can keep fighting for.
It might be a load of laundry, a stack of dishes, another day at the office, another diaper to change, or answering a phone call from a friend. When I make up my mind not to tackle the whole list, but to just take one step into the next task at hand, I begin to win the battle against the walls closing in on my soul.
When I can see no way out, I can choose to wallow in the thick of my pit, or I can do the next thing that is set before me. #victory #overcoming Share on XWe move forward when we continue to put one foot in front of the other and do the next thing.
Here are a few more suggestions for when the walls are closing in.
When the Walls Are Closing in
1. Do the next right thing.
As I suggested above, get off the couch or out of bed and do the next task in front of you.
Take a shower.
Empty the dishwasher.
Put a meal in the Crock-Pot.
Call a friend.
2. Go outside.
If you can’t go outside, go to a window.
Spend a few minutes soaking in the beauty of the open sky.
Breathe deeply. Remind yourself that this, too, shall pass.
3. Encourage someone else.
Call an older relative.
Write a note and put it in the actual mail.
Send a text to check in on a friend.
Bake a batch of cookies for the neighbors.
Pick up an extra coffee for a coworker on the way to work.
4. Move your body.
Movement is restorative.
Take a walk around the block or a walk around the house. Vacuum the floors.
Splurge on a gym membership or ask a friend to meet for a walk.
5. Pick a project.
Paint a room in your house. Install a peel-and-stick backsplash.
Wipe down the walls or dust the photo frames in the living room.
Picking a project can pull you from a rut.
~~~
As for me, I roll off the couch.
I grab Caleb’s little hand, and we head for the laundry room.
He’s singing something, and I can’t quite make out the words.
We’re halfway through matching the socks when I realize he’s singing only one word over and over again. From his lips hearken this one word: “Hallelujah,” again and again.
Suddenly, I see it. I see the light leaking through the dark walls. Hope streams in. And I keep stepping toward the light.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
