Sheila Walsh is the author of more than 30 books that have sold nearly six million copies. A household name in faith circles, most would be surprised to learn about Sheila’s battle with clinical depression—one that landed her in a psychiatric hospital alone and continues in many ways to this day.

In her new book, Holding On When You Want to Let Go: Clinging to Hope When Life Is Falling Apart, Sheila vulnerably shares the traumatic events of her childhood, the loneliness, anxiety, and depression that still creep into her life, how the coronavirus pandemic magnified and exacerbated her struggles, and the source of the hope that keeps her holding on every day.

“I am still learning how to be healed and whole,” Walsh explains. “God is still writing my story. He is writing yours too. The pieces are not lost. You are not forgotten, overlooked, or pushed aside. Your story is simply not finished yet. We all wish that we were able to be the perfect parents, partners, friends, to never bruise another soul, but we are flawed and that’s why each one of us needs a Father.”

To connect with the millions worldwide who are hurting and struggling with mental health and pain from their past, Sheila honestly shares the issues that plague her, the promises and miracles she clings to, and the practical strategies and steps that have helped sustain her on her journey to keep holding on.

“Every single thing I was trying to control was out of my control. The truth is they had never been in my control, but the greater truth is this: nothing was or ever has been out of God’s control.”

Today on Connections, Sheila shares her struggles with mental health and how the church can help those dealing with mental health issues.