We had a friend who we knew from church. He had joined our small group for a while and then switched to a mens only group. We still saw him all the time at church functions and on Sundays though and he was so sweet and genuine.
Last Monday (Dec 12) he had dinner with his family and then seem to dissapear. No one knows exactly what happened to him since then. He had work on Thursday and never showed up. He was a 40 year old man who lived on his own, so when no one hear from him from Tues and Weds no one thought of it, but when he didn't show up to work, his family filed a missing persons report. On Friday morning, they found his truck at the base of a really advanced hiking mountain. Search and Rescue teams went searching with search dogs and helicopters on Friday and found nothing. James along with others from our church and community, along with our friends family and the Search and Rescue team went out again on Saturday and still found nothing. On Sunday more people went out again searching. The search is looking grim with more and more days passing and the really cold mountain weather making it hard for someone to survive past a couple days. The mountain has many different trails and our friend could be anywhere. This past Monday was going to be the very last attempt by Search and Rescue to find him.
This Monday (Dec 19) we got a call from our pastor, who had been there for every search party. He said they found him, our dear friend and he was not alive. I had a feeling that would be the case because of how long he had been missing and was sort of prepared to hear that bad news (even though I knew God could have granted a miracle and he could have been alive, I just didn't feel in my heart he was). I was sad, but happy that he is with the lord and that he was at least found so his family wasn't left to wonder. However, I was not prepared for the rest of the news. When they found our friend, he had a gun beside him and it looks like he shot himself. As of right now, they are claiming suicide until the autopsy report. This through me for a loop. I don't know anyone who took their own life. I am not sure how I feel about when you commit suicide and what happens to you in the after life. I have prayed about it and am leaning on God and looking to his Word to help me find answers in this. It was hard to know that he felt something so sad that he wanted to end his own life.
The worst part is is that God put him on my heart for the last 2 weeks to reach out to him, but I was hesitant because I was a married woman and didn't want to send him the wrong signal by calling or texting. I was wanting to wait until Sunday to talk to him, but didn't see him the Sunday before he went missing because I was in with the kids and I didn't see him by churches end (later to find out he hasn't shown up to the last 2 Sundays). I didn't really push James to reach out to him either. I think I took it hard because I felt God pressing me to reach out and I hesitated. I know that I can't blame myself and God is helping me with peace on that, but it is still hard for me.
I just ask that you all pray for my friends family. He was really close to his family and spoke of them often and had dinner with them every week. Pray that they seek God in this moment of hurt. Pray that his friends and family do not take the blame or have any "what if I did this..." type feelings. Pray that God works in this tragedy to create a something good.
I'm sorry, Michelle. My uncle committed suicide and was living with my family at the time - it's so hard on the family and friends when something like this happens. I will say that I do think that if someone puts their faith in Jesus, He saves them from every sin - including the sin of taking their own life. I've never found anything in the Bible to make me think otherwise. Praying for his family and friends.
ReplyDeleteI'll add you, and all of his friends and family to my prayers! xox
ReplyDeletePraying. When I was a freshman in high school a "friend" of mine (we were not close-only met him once) took his own life. He was 15 years old. I think about his family all these years later and can't imagine the feelings. Suicide is soo hard to understand. And I too have sought out what I believe the word says about suicide and what my personal relationship with Jesus shows me. I don't think our God is going to damn someone to hell solely on the way they died. Not the God I know anyway. I will be praying for his poor family. Sorry for your loss Michelle.
ReplyDeleteyou know, i am also in a weird spot wondering where you go when you commit suicide. we actually discussed this in class at church a few weeks ago. but i believe that only God knows what is going on in your mind when you are in a mental state like that. so i think that he often feels mercy towards those people. because obviously there is something difficult going on in that person's life.
ReplyDeletei will be praying for you and, for this family. i too, lost a very good friend to suicide a few months ago and it is a very hard thing to sort out and try and understand. there are still days when i break down in tears when i think about "what if i would have called him more often...what if, what if, what if...." but then God, in His amazing love and peace, reminds me that my friend is now with Him, and that i am now to focus on praying for his loved ones who are still here. please know that you and his family are in my prayers daily.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for everyone's loss. Suicide is just this horrible thing, even worse than a normal accidental death. You're left with so many questions, guilt, etc, because you feel that you should have known, even if you weren't that close. I hope that you, your family, your church & his family can all come to terms with his death... May he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteXoXo