Forever Forward in Hopeਨਮੂਨਾ

Healing Happens in Community

“Carry each other’s burdens.… Each one should carry their own load.… Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:2-5, 9-10 NIV).

One of the biggest lies I believed early on was that healing had to happen alone. That I needed to get it all together before I could be around people again. But nothing could have been further from the truth.

I began to experience real transformation when I let others in—when I found people who didn’t need me to be fixed to love me, who didn’t treat my pain like it was too much to bear. My life started to shift because I stopped isolating. I learned that vulnerability was a superpower because it created an opportunity for people to see me fully. I started accepting support, encouragement, and presence.

Community didn’t fix everything overnight, but it gave me support as God began to work in my life. But it became the soil where I could begin to heal. People reminded me of who I was becoming. They prayed for me when I didn’t know what to say. They didn’t try to force me forward—they simply spoke life into my heart.

Galatians 6 paints a picture of what a healthy community looks like. We carry each other’s burdens, yes—but we also each carry our own load. That balance is crucial. There are things no one else can carry for us, and yet we’re not meant to carry everything alone.

Later, as I became more rooted, I found myself creating the kind of community I once needed. I launched mentoring programs for students—Trailblazers and Pathfinders—because I remembered what it felt like to walk into a room and not feel invisible. I remembered the power of someone seeing your potential and choosing to invest in you.

There is something sacred about shared space. When someone looks you in the eye and says, “Me too.” When someone doesn’t shrink back from your story but leans in. That kind of connection—where burdens are shared and dignity is affirmed—is how God often brings healing.

If you’re trying to heal in silence, I want to gently challenge you: open the door a little. Let someone see you. Reframe how you see vulnerability, because it is not a curse—it is what God can use to build you up. Let someone walk with you. Healing is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone.

Reflection: Who is helping you carry your burdens right now—and who might be waiting for you to help carry theirs?