Just Remember ... It’s been nearly 6 years since my best friend, Sylvester, took his own life. I wrote this poem for him at that time, but I could never seem to find it within myself to post it here. And so that became sort of a roadblock that kept me from posting anything at all. It seems that I have become all too familiar with death these days. I have lost many friends and loved ones in recent years, but to lose someone that I was that close to, in that way, was almost unbearable. As I have come to terms with it, the one overarching thought has been two-fold; “thank God for His amazing grace to me”, and “what could I have possibly done to help him". My friend’s world became so dark that he couldn’t find his way through. I wish I had understood how dark, just maybe I could have shined a light. But one thing that all of the loss and darkness in my own life has taught me, is that the Lord is always there to be the light for me if I will look up and…
Just Remember
There are times in life for all of us
When nothing makes much sense
When there are no words of comfort
You think you’ve lost your closest friend
When the pain is overwhelming
And the rain won’t seem to cease
The darkness wraps around you
And you just can’t find your peace
Just remember in that moment
That your Savior is still there
And He knows exactly what you feel
Your deepest sorrow He will bare
His promise to never leave you
Is as real as it’s ever been
And although the clouds seem heavy
Jesus wants to be that closest friend
The enemy may want to steal your joy
And he will if you let him in
But the victory has been guaranteed
And it’s certain in the end
So the moral of this story
What I want you to take away
Things are never quite as bad as they seem
There is coming a brighter day
Find someone who loves you
And open up your heart
Leave the past behind you
Change your mind and make a new start
For Sylvester 12/1/16
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Prov 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly,but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
When I was growing up, the term “mental illness” wasn’t really talked about much, and if it was it often came with some disdain and certainly some misunderstanding. Today, however, there are many places to find help. I believe that ultimately help is found in Jesus Christ, but there is certainly a place for therapy and/or medication. There can be many reasons for what I call “the battles of the soul”, and we all face them from time to time. The word “soul” has been defined as your mind, your will and your emotions. The trouble is that your mind, your will, and your emotions can get twisted and play tricks on you. They can convince you of things that aren’t true or get you to miss seeing answers to problems that you might otherwise see under different circumstances. If you know someone who is struggling in a dark place in their life, be a friend, be willing to hold the light for them when they can’t do it for themselves. Be willing to get out of your comfort zone and ask tough questions. And be brave enough to point them to the Light of the World.
