UN/Broken - Day 25

When a son or daughter, brother or sister, or close friend takes their own life, we naturally want to assign blame. We want to know what could have been done to prevent this from happening. So, it’s common for us to blame God for not sending someone to prevent the problem. We blame ourselves for not paying closer attention to what was happening in the person’s life and stepping in to prevent this tragic loss.

You may have heard stories of God impressing someone to call or visit a friend or loved one only to discover afterward that the person was on the verge of carrying out their plan to end their life. In the film A Man Called Otto, the critical character (played by Tom Hanks) is depressed after losing his wife. He is determined to end his life, but every time he attempts to carry out his plan, his intrusive next-door neighbor comes knocking, and his dreams are foiled. Otto spends so much time with this family that his attempts become difficult.

We wonder why God failed to send a pesky neighbor or a nosy friend at just the right time to prevent the tragic death of one we love. Why does God step in sometimes but not others? I wish I had an excellent answer to this question, but I'm afraid it’s above my pay grade! I admit that in times such as these when God fails to stop an event, I’m tempted to believe I could manage the universe better than God, for I would certainly have sent someone at just the right time to prevent such senseless loss of life.

But perhaps God does not step in because he is counting on us to partner with him in caring for those around us. After all, we are our brother’s keeper! God’s trust in us is a risky proposition that I don’t fully understand. But, as we take responsibility for loving those struggling with anxiety and depression, we are offering to partner with God in healing the hurt in the world around us. Stepping into the aftermath of suicide is a part of our call to love well.

Journal:

1. Have you ever had an experience in which God failed to come through for you or for someone you care about? If so, what was that like for you?
2. Have you ever had a difficult or painful experience in which a friend, relative or work associate stepped up to be there for you in a significant way? If so, what was that like?
3. Have you ever had the privilege of being there for someone who was going through a difficult time? What was that like for you to be there for them? Did you have a sense of God working through you? If so, what was that like?