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All of us sometimes feel like things cannot get better. Believing that all hope is lost causes great pain. It can also become dangerous. Suicide might seem like an escape to someone who is hurting badly. Maybe these kinds of thoughts have crept into your head before.
Maybe you feel suicidal. Perhaps one of your loved ones is there. Possibly you're grieving the loss of someone close to you. Please read on for real hope.
It breaks Abba's heart when one of his beloved children is crushed by despair. He wants to help. This is why we're talking about suicide and other mental-emotional challenges during Mental Health Awareness Month (May).
My friend Kedron is a survivor of suicide loss who has cried countless tears. He's also experienced the comfort of Christ through tender-hearted friends and lots of prayer. Jesus has helped him become a wounded healer and use his experience to bring others hope (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
Here's the story Kedron would share with you now…
Kedron heard the gunshot in the other room. He jumped out of bed only to find his lovely wife lying on the floor. He screamed for God to rescue her, but he didn't. The ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital, but they couldn't save her.
The grief Kedron experienced was intense. In his anger, he demanded that Jesus take physical form and appear. Why? He wanted to kill him. He felt like God had taken his wife and wanted someone else to experience the same pain.
Thankfully, Kedron turned back to his Abba the next day. He prayed through his honest emotions and could let go of angry blaming. This freed him up to cling to the God of comfort he desperately needed. It was the only way he could hang on after losing the person he loved the most.
Kedron desperately wishes he could go back — to express to his wife how deeply he loved her, to apologize for all the ways he hurt her, to tell her how much her kids and grandkids miss her.
Kedron’s wife believed the lie that her mind was broken beyond repair. But her pain was caused by a severe reaction to a medication that wasn’t right for her. It stopped her from seeing the hope of Jesus in the people who loved her and cared about her.
Knowing how to deal with suicide is challenging in ways that words can't express. But feeling shame about suicidal thoughts won't help. There's also no condemnation for the raw emotions that surface when someone you love is struggling or has taken their life (you might feel anger at God, like Kedron).
Please know there is hope for you in Christ. He sees you. He gets you. He's there for you. You can run into Jesus’ embrace instead of escaping.
Jesus suffered the worst agony possible when dying on the cross to forgive our sins. He understands your humanity, sorrow, and suffering more than you realize (Isaiah 53:4-6). Our Savior is also no stranger to suicide loss. Every person who has died by suicide was someone he deeply loved.
All of your sorrows are noticed by the Lord — each tear you cry is recorded in his book and saved in the bottle he has for you (Psalm 56:8 NLT). Your Heavenly Father who loves you wants to help you receive his forgiveness for your sins and his healing for your diseases (Psalm 103:3). This is why he gave you Jesus to free you from evil and help you grow in abundant life through a satisfying love relationship with your Best Friend (John 3:16; John 10:10-11).
Jesus sends his ambassadors to minister his healing and nurturing love to you (2 Corinthians 5:20). For example, Kedron and others like him answer the support line at New Hope Crisis Counseling ministry. Why? Because they know what it's like to hurt and have experienced the hope of Jesus' powerful comfort, care, and help.
You can also call 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Lord Jesus, thank You for seeing us in our darkest moments. For holding us when we feel like giving up. Help my friends to receive your comfort, peace, and love that never lets go. Amen.
With love,
Bill |
