Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

I read the text in horror and disbelief.

How could he be gone? He was the picture of potential. So much going for him. H had been through so many challenges and had come so far. Achieved so many accolades. How could his world have crumbled so low tht taking his life be the answer he turned to?

Shockwaves ripple through the core of my heart. A landslide of sorrow.

All who knew and loved him grieved. In our homes. On social media. In our conversation. In our prayers. In our hearts.

We grieved deep with a pain that stings fierce.

We grieved for his family, for the empty seat at their dinner table and the empty gap in the hearts at home. We grieved for his friends, our children, teammates and our community. We grieve because death hurts.

In the sacred sanctuary of God’s presence, we were reminded that God is the healer of the broken. We were reminded that death is not the end for those that place their faith in Christ. We were reminded to cvherish those we love and to keep our eyes wide open to the needs of those around us.

The pastor painted a canvas of Hope as he spoke. Each word a stroke of truth. A smattering of grace in full and vibrant color. He shared from the Word of God about the Word made flesh: our Hope, Jesus.

And then this… “Our friend did not die of hopelessness, he died of brokenness.”

Oh, my soul.

How does one who is surrounded by community of love feel broken to the point of death? To the point of thinking that suicide is a solution to the pain?

I struggled to breathe as I think back on this tragedy.

I consider the lives I love that are tortured by depression and sigh inwardly.

The weight of it all still sits heavy on my heart.

Inwardly, I speak to the Father. I remember pouring my heart out to the Comforter and sensing His peace in the middle of the grief. The burden remains, but the everyday struggle. When life is fagged and darkness taunts us like a bully, how can we see beyond the despair that grips us?

I don’t have a simple list of answers, but I do know this: when grief runs deep God’s comforting love runs deeper still.

The peace we long for and te rest we are desperate for will always be found in the arms of Jesus. And those arms are constatly reaching out to us.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from the, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29.

This is the invitation Jesus gives to each of us.

If you find yourself in a place of unrest…if you are trying to sift through a landslide of souls sorrow…if you’re carrying a heavy load, will you turn toward Hope and accept His invitation now?

Prayer:

Lord, please help me bring my grief to You. Thank You for being a God of hope and healing. Remind me of the peace and plans you have for me.

In Jesus’ Powerful Name

Amen