This week has been a week full of
emotions and a whole lot of feels. Excitement. Joy. Hope. Anxiety. Peace.
Despair. Frustration. Heartache. Grief. Fear. Love. Typically, I’d say that I
experience most of the emotions and feelings in a giving week; but rarely is it
all of them. I am a feeler. This week I was feeling everything. From the
excitement and joy I had at the Hall and Oates concert featuring Tears for
Fears and every middle aged rhythmless nation (see what I did there – nod to
Janet Jackson) person in Columbus to the despair and heartache I feel for the
family downstairs in the chapel, mourning the loss of their sixteen year old
who died from a suicide – this has been quite an eventful week.
What do you say to a family of a
loved one who left this earth by their own doing? What can you do to let them
know that you are there for them? To walk with them? To love on them? To grieve
with them? I don’t know the answer my friends. I genuinely don’t. I’ve
experienced a similar loss before. Although the life lost was not a family
member, I was close enough to the family to sit in grief with them and we
remain close today. Suicide is hard. A hole is left in the spot they once
filled. Often times, unanswered questions remain. And even more often, the
guilt in the form of the never-ending, repeating pattern of questions, asking
“what could I have done to prevent this?” plays over and over again in the
minds of those left behind. Suicide is hard.
If this article is too difficult
for you to read today, I understand. This is a very sensitive topic. Its
painful. Its not pretty. There are no ways to make this fun or silly. I believe
that it would be disrespectful and potentially dangerous for me to attempt to
address such a layered and difficult topic in 5000 words or less. So I won’t.
But I will be transparent with you, sharing my feelings and then ask you to
pray with me for the family left behind and grieving right now.
Lets pray together.
Dear Gracious and Heavenly Father,
we come humbly before you Lord. Holy Spirit come; let your presence overwhelm
us today. We submit our hearts to you God. We ask for forgiveness of our sins
and clear our minds and hearts of anything that is not of You, Lord. Today, we
want to lift up the family left behind. Their hearts are broken Lord. Their
pain is unimaginable. You know what they need Lord. Let them feel your
presence. Comfort them Father. Grant them your peace that surpasses all
understanding.
May they find hope in your
promises for tomorrow. May their grief not overwhelm them. May your light shine
down on them. May they be reminded of good times with their loved one. May they
find rest in your love. May their hearts be mended energized by the love of
family and friends around them.
We know that life is not easy and
that you never promised an easy path. But your word does say that you are close
to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18-19). We thank you for your promises Lord.
Equip us to be the prayer warriors and supporters that you’ve called us to be
for those left behind. We love you and commit our prayer to you today.
Amen.
Today’s article is a short one.
Sometimes we don’t need a lot of words to communicate how we feel or explain
what we are going through. Sometimes we just need prayer. Sometimes we just
need to tell people life sucks right now. And sometimes we just need people to
listen and pray with us. If you find
yourself in a position to be a support for someone, try praying first. Pray for
yourself. Pray with them. Pray for them. You don’t have to have the “right”
words or fear not being able to do the “right” things. God hears your heart and
is with you. Talk to him. Listen for him. Show his love in this world. Remind
those in your care, in your life, that they are loved. He can use you in mighty
ways my friends. Please let him.