Quote from Forum Archives on August 16, 2001, 12:17 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

People become despondent and discouraged over a variety of
things. For some, it can be the loss of a job. For others, it
can be the loss of a loved one. For others, it can be a series
of discouraging events that happen in their lives. For each of
them, it is important to understand that there is reason for
hope. Otherwise, it is quite possible to lose all hope, and
once that happens, the desire to live vanishes.

I had a period in my life once where I almost lost my hope.
Quite frankly, it was the flicker of hope that I had in Christ,
and the constant encouragement of my closest friends and family
that helped to keep me going.

That is the purpose of this message. Some people don't have even
that much, and as a result, many people DO take their own lives.
That is truly tragic. Every single person, no matter how
discouraged or unappealing they may seem to us certainly DOES
matter to God - and, as people who love God, those people should
matter to us as well.

Hey! I was not particularly attractive when I was despondent.
There was a frown on my face, discouraging words, uninteresting
conversation, and who knows what else. Why did people even
bother with me? Well, for one thing, there were those who loved
me. But WHY did they love me? Well, I maintain that each of
those who love me understand the love of God. So, when I was
unable to love or be loving, they gave their love to me, with
little immediate return.

But God has been SO gracious, to them, to me. Today, I have a
burning desire to encourage others, and it deeply pains me to
think that there are those out there who may be even more
discouraged than I was.

Now friends, don't get me wrong. I still have discouragements.
Even now, I am somewhat discouraged, because I have not been able
to find work all summer. But that is just a temporary
discouragement over the things around me. I do have "Strength
for today and bright hope for tomorrow", because as the song,
"Great is Thy Faithfulness" exclaims, our Lord is very faithful,
and that is my continued testimony to each of you. Even when
things DO NOT turn out the way that we planned them, God is STILL
faithful.

I'd like each of you to do something today. Undoubtedly, there
is someone you know who is discouraged in some way. Hopefully,
there are not too many around who are suicidal, but if they are,
don't wait... drop what you are doing and reach out in love to
them. You may not be able to solve their problems FOR them, that
is not usually what is needed, anyway. But let them know that
you care, and that they are appreciated, and that you want to
encourage them. Often, that is precisely what is needed. Before
you reach out, be sure to pray for strength, and ask God to give
YOU whatever is needed to minister to your friend.

This, my friends, is the kind of stuff that REALLY matters.
Please reach out to others today. It will inevitably encourage
YOU as well!

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Reply-to: "Sowing Seeds of Faith..." <sowseeds@nesbeonline.com>
Subject: "Three Suicide Letters"

Sowing Seeds of Faith

"Three Suicide Letters" Larry Davies

Away from home and heavily involved in a series of meetings, I
only planned to quickly scan the prayer requests emailed from our
Sowing Seeds Ministry website. But my heart skipped a beat as I
read the following three letters. All arrived within hours of
each other their intent very clear. Names have been removed to
protect their identity and the stories have been shortened
somewhat but you are reading their very real pleas for
help... their cries of anguish... their desperate need for hope.

Letter #1: "I'm not sure why I'm writing this. I went online to
look up information on suicide: statistics, methods and all that
stuff. I was raised in a family where I went to church every
Sunday and was taught the importance of faith and God in our
lives. It doesn't matter. It doesn't help me. I got hurt....
bad... when I was a child. I was hurt in a way that no person, no
little child should be hurt. I think about suicide on a daily
basis... sometimes it's all that I can think about. I've been
hospitalized for attempts before. I've been put on medications to
help the depression... the mental disorders that doctors are so
quick to diagnose. I'm sick of it all. Why should I bother trying
anymore? I'm not even afraid of dying. I'm not afraid of pain. I
just want to leave this world. Please pray for me. I'm tired of
trying."

Letter #2: "I am writing this letter because soon I will hear
what I have not wanted to hear. I wrote you a letter about my son
who is charged with capital murder of his father. Well, I found
out two days ago that his case is going to the circuit court. He
is charged with both robbery and capital murder. Before I see my
son get the death sentence I will take my own life. I can no
longer go through this any more. I keep trying but can't hold on
any longer. I am hurting inside deeply... I am all alone, since
nobody has ever cared for me. I no longer want to live in this
world full of hate and hurt. It is me that has to watch my son
and I would rather shoot myself. Like I told my counselor today,
I don't want to live anymore."

Letter #3: "As I read your story on suicide, I think it is so
easy to sit and judge those that do kill themselves... I know how
bad I feel and totally hopeless and that I am not doing my kids
any good... so why not commit suicide? I guess I am writing for
prayers because I know I shouldn't kill myself but I just cannot
get the strength to go on anymore. I read the verse you had ("If
I walk in darkness without one ray of light let me trust the
Lord, let me rely upon God." Isaiah 50:10) but I also believe
that God would not give us more then we can handle and I have
more than I can handle."

I carefully wrote a reply to all three writers pleading for time
to forward their message to other members of our prayer team. To
each, I offered no answers but promised to begin praying for them
immediately. After clicking "Send Mail" and seeing the last reply
leave the computer and head toward the recipient, I poured a
fresh cup of coffee to calm my nerves and earnestly began to
pray.

More than 32,000 Americans commit suicide every year and over a
million suicides occur worldwide or one person every 40
seconds. Attempts are estimated at over ten times that
amount. The Sowing Seeds Ministry website articles on suicide
regularly receive more than five hundred visitors a month and our
worldwide prayer ministry website processes several letters each
week contemplating suicide.

What motivates someone to consider the ultimate act of
desperation? Other letters offer a few clues:

. I was suicidal all of my life. I had a tape playing in my head
that said "I want to die".

. My husband left after 31 years and I really reached bottom.

. I was physically abused by my parents as a young child. So when
the man next door started doing things to me when I was four, I
didn't trust my parents to tell.

. I'm 22 years old. I don't trust anyone. I am diagnosed with
borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, and
post traumatic stress disorder. I rely on medication to keep me
happy enough to stay alive. I forgot to pray. I haven't prayed in
a year.

. Why would God want to hear from a wasted miserable loser like
me? When I was a child, I used to pray to be allowed to die. It
didn't happen.

Hours later, I was still fervently praying for three miracles yet
I had no idea what to do or how to begin. This was a life and
death situation with no "safe" answers. Throughout the evening I
continued praying and worrying. Later, I discovered God provided
those three precious miracles. It's a great story you will not
want to miss next week. Meanwhile, if you're thinking of
committing suicide? Please, think again!

-----------------------------------------

For my own story related to suicide click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/mom's.htm

Sowing Seeds of Faith... Weekly devotions with ATTITUDE, humor,
great stories and a down-to-earth Bible study.

Would you like to receive twice weekly prayer needs from around
the world? Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

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

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