Quote from Forum Archives on August 10, 2000, 9:26 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

You may recall the story that Larry Davies shared about "Suicide and
Janice" last week. There have been many others who are in that
position. For all I know, there may be those reading this list
who feel (or have felt, at one time or another) the way Janice
feels.

Well, like Larry, I know that I do not have the answers, certainly
not in myself. My personal hope is in Jesus Christ. I can vividly
remember the thoughts that Janice wrote about: she knows who Jesus Christ
is, and what He has done, but it just doesn't seem to ease the pain.

Exactly what the pain may be is not clear, but it is clear that the pain
is very real to Janice. It may be a physical pain; more than likely, it
is a deep emotional pain (which results in a deep, physical, aching pain).

I cannot guess or second guess what Janice is going through. I certainly
do not judge her. I, too, have experienced deep emotional pain. Some of
that pain took a long time to dissipate. Occasionally, it even reoccurs,
in small doses, as I remember the past.

The thing that helped me most was the prayers and friendship of others.
Friends who would not keep telling me what to do; I get enough of that
from everywhere. These were friends who simply love me for who I am,
nothing more. I'm sure these same friends do not agree with everything
I do, and the choices that I make. But they have never denied their
friendship.

We all need friends like that. One of my friends, who has been a pastor
to me, likes to refer to friends like that has "God with skin". Clearly
we are not God. Even so, God's Spirit can, and does, live within us. When
we allow His Spirit to affect who we are and what we do, powerful things
happen.

So I encourage each one of you today to eagerly seek God in whatever you
are doing. You are deeply loved, fully accepted, and completely forgiven.
Moreover, God wants to use YOUR SKIN as an encouragement for someone else.
Can you offer yourselves to Him today, so that He may use YOU to encourage
others?

Brother Brian

Note: forwarded message attached.

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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