Suicide
Mark 12:31 - 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Have you ever had a friend or someone you know commit suicide? It's devastating. It's hard to understand. Questions of....What? You got to be kidding me? What were they thinking? How selfish...etc. I think the questions can go on and on. I don't we think will ever have an answer. What is frequently left is a broken family.
So for those of you that don't know...prior to being in sales I worked as a Mental Health Counselor and still work with a few folks today. Honestly, it is emotionally challenging at times as you want to solve problems but you are nothing more than a vehicle for reflective thought and decisions.
This came up today as I had a young lady ask me for a letter of recommendation for Graduate school. She would like to pursue a career in counseling. Now, I take this very serious. I sat for HOURS trying to think of how I could best express my thoughts for her to accurately reflect how much of an over-comer she is a person. I went back to one of our first interactions and remembered a statement I NEEDED TO REMEMBER. (My experience is when a child/teen/youth/young adult/adult go through a life altering tragedy you have 2 choices. A choice to be angry or a choice to live life and learn. Anger is part of both experiences but the outcomes are greatly different)....and second “Seek opportunity, don’t wait for opportunity”. Idleness brings despair. We are called to work, seek and solve. We are most happy when we are actively living". She is actively living and blossoming!
I looked at this young lady and remembered:
1. Salutatorian at her High School
2. Attended University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
3. Worked full time and self-supported herself through college
4. Graduated from UCCS with a 3.89 GPA in Media
5. Debt Free
6. A coach, mentor and star Volleyball player in a Colorado volleyball league
7. Active Church member
8. Amazing Artist
9. Special Music Singer at events across Colorado
10. Animal Enthusiast/Foster parent for animals in need
While I had nothing to do with this other than encouragement...I look at her now in a Spirit of amazement and think Thank you Lord for allowing me to witness such a journey. Thank you for allowing me to love her and her family.
If you have a friend or associate that makes such a dreadful decision...remember the lives around them and don't forget to love them, encourage them and to be their Champion. God calls us to love our neighbor...love them like they are your own.
In Christ,
Warren