I once again find myself at a Wall that stands before me. As I saw it approaching on the horizon, my senses heightened, but I am not afraid. Now it is close enough to touch. It feels familiar. I have been to a Wall like this before. I know that somewhere along it, there is a door. So I put my hand on the Wall, choose a direction, and start walking. I feel the grooves of the stones under my fingertips as I calmly walk along it, knowing that it won't be long until I find the doorknob. 

I have been to a Wall like this before. 

In the past, its obstructive presence was not so welcoming. What is this giant obstacle? Where did it come from? I was doing just fine on the smooth, pretty path I was on. I have tried to climb over the Wall. The task only wore me out. The Wall once brought panic, as I searched it frantically, looking for something to grasp, looking for any way past it, pounding at it in frustration. I have been tempted to turn around and go back to where I came from. But I came from nothing good. I have sat down and given up at this Wall. I buried myself in its shadows as I mourned the loss of all that once lay before me.

Eventually, frustration turns into weary desperation, and the only thing you can do is be still. You've been emptied. Eventually, you have no choice but to get up, if you want to survive. You hold on to the Wall as you decide to surrender to your situation. Stay calm as you muster up your strength, and take courage as you walk along its undiscovered length. The journey will transform you.

You will eventually reach a door. 

And when you open it, you will pass through it like a new birth.

I have been to a Wall like this before.

Inspired By: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Pete Scazerro -  founder of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality ministries.

Further Reading: The Dark Night of the Soul, St. John of the Cross