Taking a sledgehammer to old walls sounds primal and satisfying to me. Wouldn’t you love a chance to swing a hammer and demolish walls that make you feel stifled and trapped?
I once had an opportunity to confront an old trauma that had imprisoned me in a state of fear for decades—and I did it using a sledgehammer. More than three decades after experiencing a traumatic event, the building where it occurred was to be torn down.
I was invited to be the last person to walk through that building on demolition day. My husband brought along a sledgehammer and encouraged me to destroy the wall that had held me captive during that dark time. I was sure this was going to be…fun?
I held onto that heavy hammer and focused my attention on one spot. I swung with all my might, sure that I could puncture through to the other side. But I managed to make only a tiny dent. I continued to swing, with little success. My husband joined in, and we took turns swinging that hammer for what seemed like hours.
Finally, my husband managed to put a small hole in the wall through to the other side. Before we left, we both looked into the room on the other side of the wall. What we saw was astonishing. The small hole we had put in the wall was a perfect heart shape.
More astonishing was the wall around that hole. While we were making small dents on our side of the wall, we didn’t realize that on the other side, a six-foot square section of wall had crumbled.
The heart-shaped hole reminded me that God loved me enough to join in the battle. While I had nearly given up after making a few dents, persistence led to success. It was demolition day!
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Friends, sometimes it feels like we work so hard and barely make a dent in conquering those things that hold us back.
Perhaps you are planning to attend the Speak Up Conference in a few short months, and your perceived walls are making you hesitant. Maybe you feel intimidated because you are not as far along in your ministry as others.
Has your self-talk been adding bricks to this wall? Have your ever thought:
- I am too old or too young for this.
- I don’t have the right education.
- My story isn’t as interesting as others.
- What if I’m not dynamic enough?
- I don’t have enough time, energy, resources, or wisdom…I have nothing of value to contribute.
- There isn’t a sledgehammer big enough to tear down the walls that stand in my way.
Guess what? God is in the business of tearing down walls. He destroyed the towering, ten-story-tall, multi-tiered stone wall that surrounded Jericho without the use of a sledgehammer or any other equipment.
The only thing he asked of Joshua and the others is that they walk around this plot of land once daily for six days and seven times on the seventh day. Each trip around this six-acre parcel of land took about fifteen minutes to walk. The people must have thought, this is just too easy.
But they followed God’s call, obediently took one step at a time, persisted, and the walls crumbled.
Just like Joshua at Jericho, or like my husband and I swinging our hammer, we need to persist, step forth in obedience, and trust God to remove the walls that seem to stand in our way. Don’t give up. It’s demolition day!
What walls seem to be holding you back in life? I encourage you to persist.
You never know what God is doing on the other side of that wall!
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
Question: In what area of your life and/or ministry do you feel like you are working hard and only making a small dent? How can I pray for you? I look forward to reading your comments.
Did you know? 📚 For just $50, you can get expert feedback on your manuscript before the Speak Up Conference! Literary agent Blythe Daniel is offering First Step Manuscript Reviews for up to 20 attendees. She’ll critique 10 pages of your proposal or manuscript and provide detailed comments and next-step recommendations. Submissions are due by June 1, with feedback returned by June 15. This in-person extra opportunity is limited—so register today!
About Lisa Saruga
Lisa is a licensed professional counselor, EMDR trauma therapist, and legislative advocate who specializes in sexual trauma. She is also a speaker and author. As a trauma survivor, she has learned that hope and healing are available even when this world offers no happy endings. Her book, The Trauma Tree: Going Beyond Survival, Growing Toward Wholeness leads readers on a journey to that same healing. Connect with Lisa at www.LisaSaruga.com.