This Self-Care Act May Be Hard, But It’s Necessary

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.”  Psalm 118:5

Many of us have been taught not to ask for help, but asking for help is a kind of self-care. Historically, our people have survived by depending on the community. 

Community, as well as love, have always been at the root of our liberation. Something anti-Blackness wants us to forget is that there is strength in numbers. 

The beating pulse in all slave uprisings, The Underground Railroad, and Civil Rights protests WAS community. Community in showing up for one another, lending a helping hand, and standing in solidarity. 

If you struggle to ask others for help, think of it this way:  If you’re constantly asking God for help but then deny people when they offer help, you’re blocking the blessings God is trying to send you.

Why is it hard for you to ask for help? Who taught you that asking for help was wrong? How did that work out for them? 

Like the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Asking for help is necessary for spiritual wellness. Our most successful leaders were successful because they leaned on their community.