What is hopelessness? I began thinking about this today after hearing about a young man, 21 years old, committing suicide in his parent's home. 21 years old...hopeless and without any vision of what could be. 21 years old and without hope of a loving, forgiving God. There is no way I can know if he had a relationship of Grace at the time of his death, but I can tell you he did not fully understand how powerful God's love can be when we are hurting, lonely or just plain hopeless. Did I ever help him see how loved he is?
Did he know that God saw the failures and frustrations long before they came? Did he know that he was part of a plan that God saw him in before he was born? Did he understand that the failure of his parents were not his failures? Did he know that his sibling's success was not his measuring stick?
I watched him grow up from the 7th grade. He is the same age as my son. Through his father, I know he struggled with the same things my son struggled with. Teenage angst. Girls. Friends, no friends. Fitting in, not fitting in. Pushed to be the best at whatever they do and never feeling like the best. Dad's that pushed...hard.
Did he know his father wanted him to be happy? Did he know his sister looked up to him? Did he know his mother adored him? Did he know he was loved? Really loved...
Do you know you are loved? Do you know you are not the mistakes you make? Do you know your family loves you?
Does your family know they are loved? Does your family know they are not the mistakes they make? Does your family know you love them?
Tell them, ask them, show them...never ever assume they know.
Eternal hell is a separation from God and His glorious Love. Hopelessness can be that hell on earth.
Share the Love and show people, show your friends, show your family there is hope. Not because you have all of the answers, but because they are not alone. They are surrounded by that same Glorious Love from God, through you.
21 years old...there is so much more than just this moment in time. Pain alone can be torturous, but being in pain alone is hell.
Share the love you have been given freely and unconditionally...healing begins with each of us.
