How are you feeling today? Are you tired of being in pain or feeling sick? Have you gotten to the point where you feel like Job? Sometimes it seems that people get to the point that they desire to die rather than facing the pain or agony that they are living in.
Here are some staggering statistics from the Army: As of October 2012 there were 166 suicides in the Active Component. In the Reserves/National Guard there 116 during the same time. In all of 2011 there were 165 Suicides among the Active Component and 118 in the Reserve/National Guard. These numbers are the most that the Army has seen since it has started keeping track of suicides.
Life is tough. As I get older I notice that it doesn't get any easier. But I don't feel that Suicide is an option. Every one of these Soldiers who decided that life wasn't worth living any longer had a reason. For many it was due to conflict that had happened at home. For others it was due to the inability to readjust after coming back home from war. All were in need of help.
When I read the book of Job, I see a man who was despondent. He was at the end of his rope. He was by all extents and purposes clinically depressed. But he had something that many people don't have. He had friends who saw a need and came to sit with him and comfort him. He also had a heavenly Father who was in control.
If you see someone who is hurting, be a friend to them. They need someone who can just be there to comfort them and lift them up. It could just save their life. Most importantly, they need you to lift them up in prayer. When you pray for our Soldiers, continue to pray that God will bring them home safe, but also pray that God can heal their unseen wounds as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment