Also, sadly, it is also the birthday of a young lady from our community named Kameron. Kam was a casualty of suicide just a handful of years ago, along with her family and friends. So today is definitely a "S.A.D." day.
Last night, ssemingly unrelated at the time, I sent out a message to all of the people in my Facebook chat window. I do that once in a while. Over the course of the evening I sent an encouraging message to 171 people. In the message I reminded each person that God loved them and, well, read it for yourself.
"Hi. Just reminding you that God loves you. He knows everything about us and still loves us anyway. That's pretty amazing! Have a super day tomorrow!"
The responses varied from none at all to this one that touched my heart:
"That honestly made me tear up ... I definitely needed that reminder today thank u Bob so much."
We never can tell what a person is really feeling behind all the tough Facebook talk and smilie faces. Social media is the great deceiver. It often places an invisible barrier between vulnerable hearts and those who desire to help.
Today is Suicide Awareness Day. Today, do NOT be afraid to tell someone that you love them and that you will always be available to listen. Suicide is always a surprise. It is never invited, it is inflicted - an unannounced robbery of our hearts - and it often takes the very people we love the most. So, how do we stop suicide from happening? I'm not exactly sure but I am sure of this. The answer, I believe, is rooted in love. A deep, sacrificial love. That love is best expressed in our living it out rather than writing about it in blogs or hearing about it in a eulogy. Love someone today like Jesus loved us.
"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." - John 15:12
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