Today a family is crying.  A father is left with unanswered questions. A mother stares at a child’s trophies and momentos and wonders why.  A life has ended too soon.  It was not a life of ugly or secretive behaviors that destroyed promises of youth. It was not the result of some horrific accident that brought sadness too soon.  No, this death was the result of one of the few illnesses still forced into the closet by our “open society.”

People who have given their lives to advance the kingdom of God and ease the suffering of others stare at an empty room. My heart breaks for them.  Unless you have known what it is to awake drenched in tears for no good reason or struggled to draw breath because of some oppressive doom no one else can see, you cannot imagine the horror our children, young people, adults, and even seniors are facing in their life because of mental illness.

I would ask that you pause before your next thought and ask God to relieve the suffering of those us who suffer from mental illness. We, as a society that brags of its acceptance of all things, must embrace the reality that millions suffer in shame and silence.  We fear the sensationalized stigma so often associated with the unknown.

I will not be bound by shame.  I have a thorn in the flesh of my soul.  You may call it depression, anxiety, the blues, or just plain craziness.  Regardless, I awake every day asking God to relieve the burden that robs my life and the lives of those who care for me of so much joy. But know this, even as I weep in prayer for healing, I praise God that such a thorn exist in my life.  For without such suffering, I fear my selfish nature would not see the pain of others.

Peace to you my fallen brothers and sisters in Christ.  May you awake eternally with peace that passes all earthly understanding.