Never, ever alone.

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you cannot hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. –Harriet Beecher Stowe


September 10 was World Suicide Prevention Day. Take a moment and reflect:

Every year, over 800,000 people die by suicide; up to twenty-five times that many attempt to end their lives.

While that statistic is staggering, each one of those people is more than a statistic. Each one of them is someone’s child, someone’s parent, someone’s lover, someone’s friend. And many of their deaths might have been preventable.

For many people, one of the hardest things to do can be to ask for help. Starting that conversation with someone considering suicide is really, really tough.

Even harder is listening. Listening to someone try to explain the pain. Listening for honest answers to tough questions. Listening and saying nothing—just listening. Openly and without judgment or comment.

We are all part of a community; as such, it’s our task to check in with one another, encourage those whose burden seems unbearably heavy, and find the courage to ask: Is everything okay? How can I help?

Life is precious, and sometimes, precarious. Take a minute and you could change a life. Today, pause and pray for those who are struggling to take the next breath. Reach out. And if the person struggling is you, know this: You are loved, deeply and completely. Just the way you are, just because.


Monday Stop. Look. Listen. Breathe deeply. Pause. Repeat. Give thanks. Joshua 10:12-13

Tuesday As you are out among people today, look with your heart’s eye for the beauty of God’s children in each person you meet. Pause and pray for one in whom the Almighty may be more difficult to see. . . . Proverbs 30:18-19

Wednesday Do a little something for someone else: pick some flowers, offer cookies or companionship. Listen deeply for their unspoken needs. Proverbs 30:24-28

Thursday In Genesis, God gave Adam and his descendants dominion over all Creation. Reflect on what this means, and the role you play in this Plan. Genesis 1:28-31

Friday Find yourself a quiet space and watch the sun come or go. Allow yourself to experience the vastness of space. Give thanks for our faithful God. Psalm 19

Saturday As you pause today to pray for yourself, remind yourself of God’s enormity and of God’s deep love for you, personally. Give thanks—and remind a friend. Invite them to church. Zephaniah 3:8

Sunday What brings you to your house of worship week after week? What else? As you sit in the quiet of this space, name in your heart the things that inexplicably draw you back. 1 Chronicles 16:23-25

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down. –Mary Pickford


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