It’s been awhile since I posted, but hopefully now that the insanity of summer has settled into the chaos of the school year, I can get back into a productive routine. Of course, during the school year, there are still things that come up out of the ordinary, and take us places we don’t always expect.
This past Saturday, I participated in a local “Out of the Darkness” walk, that is designed to raise awareness of suicide prevention, and the link of suicide with depression and other un-treated mental illness. As one who works with teenagers, who are not exempt from these same things, I felt like it would be good to check it out and be a part of the activities.
So, along with two of my trusty kids from church (they know who they are, and they are WONDERFUL), I headed to Mt. Trashmore, a local park, lake, and otherwise nice place to meet and hang out. As I sat at one of the picnic tables waiting for the program to start before the walk itself, I noticed that many people there were wearing T-shirts they made with pictures and names of loved ones they lost to suicide. I’ll be the first to admit, I was worried that it would be a depressing time, which to me seemed a bit ironic.
However, what I quickly discovered, is that while these people were all here because of a terrible event that took a loved one, they were remembering how these folks lived. There was an area called the “Memorial Tent” where pictures of suicide victims were displayed for people to see. Inside the tent, on a large sign were the words, “…They are not defined by how they died, but how they lived, and how they were loved.” It ended up being a very touching display of support for one another.’
Those of us who were there as general participants were challenged to make sure we watch our own friends and loved ones so that any warning signs could be spotted and help offered in time to make a difference.
So there I was, sitting at my picnic table noticing these shirts, when two ladies sat down at our table. Both were wearing a shirt of what turned out to be the husband of one lady, and the son of the other one. The dates on the shirt told us that this particular man had taken his own life just over a year ago. Several times they hugged and put their arms around each other in support.
Also sitting at our table was a young mother with her son, who was probably just about 9-10 months old. During the program, as the speakers focused on the need to be aware, and the need to support, this little baby was playing and smiling and just being about the cutest little kid as he could be. What I noticed was that the two ladies who lost the loved one were interacting with this little boy, and were smiling and laughing through their tears. Playing with this baby that was so full of life was helping them find hope even as they remembered the loss of life so close to them.
That was a moment that I saw God working. It was nothing earth-shattering, and it probably would be considered silly by some, but who else could it be to bring Hope in a tough time? I remembered the little snipped from Jeremiah, “…plans to give you hope…”
I learned two very important things that day. The first was that although those of us that haven’t been directly affected by suicide tend to gloss over the issue, it is still something to which we need to place more effort and emphasis, and about which we have a real need to increase our education.
The second thing was that even in the midst of tough or hard times, God can provide hope—even in the form of a drooling baby. We just have to be willing to see it, and keep our hearts available for the comfort that He can bring.
This past Saturday, I participated in a local “Out of the Darkness” walk, that is designed to raise awareness of suicide prevention, and the link of suicide with depression and other un-treated mental illness. As one who works with teenagers, who are not exempt from these same things, I felt like it would be good to check it out and be a part of the activities.
So, along with two of my trusty kids from church (they know who they are, and they are WONDERFUL), I headed to Mt. Trashmore, a local park, lake, and otherwise nice place to meet and hang out. As I sat at one of the picnic tables waiting for the program to start before the walk itself, I noticed that many people there were wearing T-shirts they made with pictures and names of loved ones they lost to suicide. I’ll be the first to admit, I was worried that it would be a depressing time, which to me seemed a bit ironic.
However, what I quickly discovered, is that while these people were all here because of a terrible event that took a loved one, they were remembering how these folks lived. There was an area called the “Memorial Tent” where pictures of suicide victims were displayed for people to see. Inside the tent, on a large sign were the words, “…They are not defined by how they died, but how they lived, and how they were loved.” It ended up being a very touching display of support for one another.’
Those of us who were there as general participants were challenged to make sure we watch our own friends and loved ones so that any warning signs could be spotted and help offered in time to make a difference.
So there I was, sitting at my picnic table noticing these shirts, when two ladies sat down at our table. Both were wearing a shirt of what turned out to be the husband of one lady, and the son of the other one. The dates on the shirt told us that this particular man had taken his own life just over a year ago. Several times they hugged and put their arms around each other in support.
Also sitting at our table was a young mother with her son, who was probably just about 9-10 months old. During the program, as the speakers focused on the need to be aware, and the need to support, this little baby was playing and smiling and just being about the cutest little kid as he could be. What I noticed was that the two ladies who lost the loved one were interacting with this little boy, and were smiling and laughing through their tears. Playing with this baby that was so full of life was helping them find hope even as they remembered the loss of life so close to them.
That was a moment that I saw God working. It was nothing earth-shattering, and it probably would be considered silly by some, but who else could it be to bring Hope in a tough time? I remembered the little snipped from Jeremiah, “…plans to give you hope…”
I learned two very important things that day. The first was that although those of us that haven’t been directly affected by suicide tend to gloss over the issue, it is still something to which we need to place more effort and emphasis, and about which we have a real need to increase our education.
The second thing was that even in the midst of tough or hard times, God can provide hope—even in the form of a drooling baby. We just have to be willing to see it, and keep our hearts available for the comfort that He can bring.
No comments:
Post a Comment