When I started Driven to Hope Ministries in 2020, I needed community. Living in Southern California, where automobiles are the primary method of transportation, I felt lost and unable to find people who understood me outside of family. It’s hard being in a culture where driving is seen as a ride of passage into adulthood. It’s celebrated and validated, and for those of us who struggle with any driving phobia or trauma, we feel less than. Nobody talks about this. People will say, “well, just get over it and drive.”
When I see teens and young adults seemingly effortlessly passing their behind-the-wheels, I feel desperate and alone and hopeless. For decades I sought a community where I could finally feel understood and validated. This year, I found it on Facebook.
There’s a stigma of shame that many people with vehicle-related phobias feel everyday. That’s why community is so crucial. In community, I felt understood in a way I’ve never felt before. See, just like any phobia, it exists on a spectrum of sorts. I realized that not only was I not alone, but there were others with much more severe levels.
I’m crying as I write this because feeling understood is such a basic human need that gets overlooked so much. I believe God created us to be in community for this reason amongst others. When we feel validated in our struggles, it actually helps us to heal more effectively. And when we have the courage to talk about it, and bring it out into the light, we are taking away Satan’s power to whisper in our ear and tell us we aren’t enough.
You are enough.
Driven To Hope 