Sterling and I found out yesterday that one of our former pastors, tragically took his own life. We are overwhelmed with sadness for his wonderful family, and their church congregation. Our hearts are broken for their loss and our thoughts and prayers go out to them, for they are near and dear to our hearts.
It is hard to wrap your mind around something so tragic. Nothing is more sad than someone taking their own life. But it can be even harder to understand why a pastor, someone who should supposedly no better, would make this choice. It's a reminder that any one can fall and lose their way. We need to pray for our pastors. We as a congregation need to lift our pastors up and realize they are no different than we are, and in need of grace just the same. For whatever reason, this pastor lost hope, and he chose to give up, and that is the saddest thing in the world to me. Because we always have hope in the Lord. There is no circumstance to difficult, no depression too deep, no wound too deep, no betrayal too deep, or sin to horrifying, that God can't deliver us from. This man sadly bought a lie of some kind, a lie that so many of us buy from time to time. A lie that says God can't save me from this. God can't redeem me from this. God can't deliver me from this. God can't bring good from this. But those are all lies. All things are possible for him who believes. God can redeem and restore what seems impossible to man. God forgives. People forgive when God is at work in their lives. God can restore the most broken hearts. God can renew the most twisted of minds.
Giving up and losing hope in the Lord Jesus Christ is NEVER an option! My youngest daughter Avery's middle name is Hope. Because in one of the most darkest seasons of my life, God gave me hope! He showed me that despite my circumstances, and despite my sorrow, there was hope in Him, if I chose to trust Him and allow Him to see me through. He gave me this verse during that time.
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God."
Thank you God for never letting go!
Although this pastor's last day was his worst day, we choose to remember the rest of the days he lived on earth and all the lives he touched and reached for the Lord. God's grace is enough, even on our very worst day.
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