Kohathite: The Invisible Wall | What Happens When Your Life Stops Over $20

The Invisible Wall | What Happens When Your Life Stops Over $20

The Day Everything Stalled

She stood outside the DMV with a folded piece of paper in her hand—her application for a state ID. She had filled it out neatly, double-checked the boxes, and practiced how she would answer questions at the counter. For weeks, she had been building toward this one moment.

Why was it so important? Because without an ID, she couldn’t apply for a job. Without a job, she couldn’t rent a room. Without a room, she couldn’t get off the shelter floor at night.

She had already faced enough invisible walls in her life—doors shut because she didn’t look the part, forms denied because she lacked the right documentation, appointments missed because transportation was out of reach. But this one wall was different. This wall had a price tag: $20.

When the clerk said the words, “That’ll be twenty dollars,” she froze. Her stomach dropped. She didn’t have it.

Her life stopped right there.

Why Twenty Dollars Feels Like a Mountain

For some, twenty dollars is coffee money, a quick lunch, a spur-of-the-moment purchase. For others, twenty dollars might as well be two hundred, or two thousand. It’s not just about the money—it’s about what the money represents: a barrier, a locked gate, an invisible wall that keeps a person on the outside of opportunity.

What many don’t see is the ripple effect. No ID means no legal work. No ID means no housing application. No ID means no library card, no prescription pickup, no basic human recognition in the system. The lack of one small plastic card—priced at twenty dollars—becomes the lock that chains a person in place.

God Sees the Invisible Walls

The Bible tells us again and again that God notices the walls the world builds—and He calls us to see them too.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” (Matthew 25:35)
Jesus connects care for the overlooked with love for Himself. An ID might not look like food or water, but it is a tool for survival, and helping someone gain access to it is part of the same calling.
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” (Psalm 9:9)
For the woman outside the DMV, her trouble was not just financial—it was systemic. But God promises to be close to those caught under the weight of systems they didn’t create and can’t seem to climb out of.
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3:27)
Sometimes we can’t fix the whole system, but we can pay attention to the moment in front of us. For someone, that might mean covering the cost of an ID, helping them get to the DMV, or advocating for fee waivers.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor… to set the oppressed free.” (Luke 4:18)
Jesus made clear that His mission was about freedom—not only spiritual freedom, but tangible, lived freedom for those burdened by poverty and injustice.

The Strength We Often Miss

Here’s what I don’t want you to miss: the woman outside the DMV didn’t give up. She walked away heavy-hearted, but she walked away with her head still high. She said, “I’ll figure it out. It might take me longer, but I’ll get there.”

That’s resilience. That’s dignity. That’s the kind of strength that deserves honor, not pity.

Her story isn’t about helplessness—it’s about how close she came, how much effort she put in, how determined she still is. And it’s about how something so small—twenty dollars—can either keep a life stuck or help it move forward.

What We Can Do

We may not be able to rewrite the DMV’s rules tomorrow. But there are small, practical steps each of us can take:

Pray: Ask God to be close to those standing at invisible walls today. Pray for creativity, resources, and open doors.
Share: Tell this story. Awareness is a form of advocacy. The more people who understand the barrier, the more voices call for change.
Encourage: Speak dignity. If you know someone struggling with IDs, documents, or fees, remind them of their worth, not just their obstacles.
Give (if you’re able): Support organizations that help cover ID fees, or community groups that walk with people through the process.

A Gentle Invitation

I write these stories because I believe words can lift veils and open eyes. They remind us that justice isn’t only about courtrooms and laws—it’s also about the everyday barriers that keep people locked out of life.

If this story has stirred something in you, I’d love for you to join me in this work. That could look like praying over the people I write about. It could look like sharing this post so more people see the human side of poverty. It could look like sending a word of encouragement, or even choosing to support my writing advocacy if you feel led.

But most of all, it looks like living awake to the invisible walls around us. Because once you see them, you can’t unsee them. And once you see them, you can choose to help someone climb over.

Because sometimes, life doesn’t stop for lack of ability, or lack of will—it stops at the cost of twenty dollars. And together, we can help someone move forward again.