I was taught to never loose hope . . .

Last week, I officiated at the funeral of a young man in our community who died by an apparant hanging/suicde.

Also last week, two of our local high school students attempted suicide. One died, and the other, after being in a coma, will recover.

Could it be something in our water???

Perhaps it is a combination of my own life experiences, and perhaps I do not really have any clue what it is like to be a teenager or young adult in our current culture . . . but I was taught, and believe to this day, that suicide is not a rational option or choice in life.

Again, I am speaking from my perspective and experience. I know suicide is a tragic thing for all the surviving family and friends. I've officiated at three funerals in the past 4 years where suicide was the cause of death. They each were some of the largest attended funerals I have officiated. The body language of most in attendance, the pain in their faces, how close they were holding on to each other . . . the pain was very great.

At the service, I described the pain of a friend commiting suicide as a "hurricane that hits you all at once in your gut." I didn't know how else to describe it. It was what I saw in their eyes. It was also how I felt.

But God is able. He was able that day, and He is able today, and He is able tomorrow as well.

I grieve for these families, deeply so. But I have to ask a question which I would like an answer to in order to come to grips with all this for myself.

-Has suicide now moved from the "Do Not Ever Do No Matter How Bad Life Is" list to the "Possible Choices For Dealing With Life" list?

When did that happen?

I truly believe that we are created by a loving God to live and engage with other people. Life is not meant to be lived alone.

I also believe that our greatest efforts should not be in the acquiring of wealth, awards or status . . . but in the cultivating of rich relationships. Relationships where someone considering something as tragic as suicide knows they can come to you . . . because you will make yourself available in their hour of need.

Major decisions are not meant to be made alone. They are to be made after careful counsel and personal consideration of learned advice.

But again, I speak/write out of the perspective of a 50+ year old.

Perhaps as I sit in my upstairs church office, I find that I am a little more culturally naive than I thought. Perhaps I am too removed . . . too used to people coming to me . . . than my going to see them where they are.

Lord, help me do what I can, when I can, with whom I can!

Amen!

I'm better than I deserve! ><>