A Peace That Surpasses Understanding

This morning, the news spread like a fire through our workplace and small, North GA community. The Jackson and Banks County areas are rural and loosely populated, and one of those parts of the world where most everybody really does know almost everybody.
 

“A student shot themselves at Banks County High School this morning”, my wife told me. 

No name. No details. But immediately, my mind started scrolling through the names and faces of teenagers we knew who attended there. Family. Kids of friends. Neighbors. Even people we only “know of”. Not that it would lessen the impact if the student is unknown to us, but being honest…that’s just what I thought. 

Bits and pieces incrementally came together. A news clip here. An office conversation there. Someone’s husband called in with an update. A Facebook post to fill in some gaps. Finally, a name. The news that he is actually still alive. And before long, most of us had a reasonably clear picture as to what had happened. 

I don’t know this young man. At all. No clue as to what kind of kid he was. What his social standing was. What color his hair and eyes are, or who his parents might be. But it doesn’t matter. In the end, it’s a recurring story, regardless of race, color or creed. Quite simply, a young man, relatively uneventfully, walked into school this morning. Stopped. Pulled out a pistol, pointed it at himself, and pulled the trigger. 

Good Lord. 

Caleb, my middle son is 15. His face keeps flashing in my mind as this story gets told and retold and talked about. 

And as it does, lots of folks, including myself, are asking the obvious question, “Why?” 

And I honestly don’t know. Experience apparently isn’t always a great teacher, because even though this is something many of us have seen, before…I still can’t explain it.

It happens far too often. A teenager (popular or not) has the mounting pressures of, well…of being a teenager. Boyfriend. Girlfriend. Grades. Sex. Clothes. A phone. A car. A talent. A sport. A date. Hormones. Dreams. Grand plans. They struggle. They worry. They panic. They’re terrified of what they can’t control and don’t understand. Maybe this one doesn’t deal with things the way most of the other kids seem to be. And finally, in desperation, thinking there’s no other way out…they end it. 

It’s all too common. And is getting worse. Nearly 20% of high school students report having considered killing themselves. And almost 15% have actually made plans to go through with it. Just a couple of years ago, do you know nearly 5,000 kids aged 5-24 took their own life? That’s about a child, every couple of hours…24/7, 365 days a year.  And estimates say that for every suicide that succeeds, another 25 don’t. 

This is a problem. But not a new one… 

When I was in school, it happened twice, that I can remember. 

The first time, a young man at our school hung himself in his closet. Why? Why would he do that!? He was popular, good looking, smart, active and involved. God, how long had we been in school together…since 2^nd grade? Who would’ve ever guessed what was going on in his mind. Afterwards, the rest of us came back to school to a world turned completely upside-down that next day. Everyone confused and at a loss and asking “Why?”. It just didn’t make sense. 

A few years later, another kid, also hung himself. Same outcome…but a different set of circumstances this time. He was admittedly slow, academically. Mostly unpopular. No new, trendy shoes or clothes. No girlfriend. Even openly picked on at school. He lived just down the road from my house. We even rode the bus home and walked a good quarter of a mile to my driveway together every day, before he continued on his way to his house. Life was hard for him at school. I mean, I wasn’t openly cruel to him, like I had seen some be. But I still laughed at him when the rest of my peers laughed. And I certainly didn’t go out of my way or make any point to be particularly nice.  

If you went to school with me, you know the kid I'm talking about. You know what he dealt with from us. All of us. 

That following Monday at school, was again, a day of shock for all of us. “What is going on? Why!?” Only this time, shock came with the common shadow of guilt hanging over all of us. That wondering if we caused this…or could’ve prevented it. This time, it did make sense…but still left us at a loss. 

Why? Always, “Why?”. 

I don’t know. I really don’t know. 

I do know this though…that as odd as it may be to say it…I not only remember those events in my school, but I also remember the reactions of the student body, after they happened. I remember the “air” in the hallways. I remember the manner of the students in the lunchroom. The conversations between classes. And on the whole, I must confess…those two periods of sadness and distress were the greatest moments of strength and kindness and friendship, that I can remember, at our school. We drew in upon ourselves, in the wake of that storm, and found our strength in each other. 

Did God cause those boys to kill themselves? No, I don’t believe so. But did He allow those dark days to bring about an unexpected sense of good, in all of us? Yes, I firmly believe He did. 

Is that the “good”, in the midst of the “bad”? I don’t know if I could call it “good”. But if God gave us the chance to receive a blessing, out of that apparent curse, then yes, I believe in that “good”. A most unexpected good. 

So at the end of this day, again, I can’t look at this and answer the why. I can’t say what we could’ve done. What we could not have done. I can’t tell you how to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 

But I can say with absolute certainty, that if we allow it, God is able to take times like this and transform them into instruments of the greatest encouragement and compassion. Into days of hope. Into brotherhood and love for one another, in a way that will surprise us. And then we can believe that nothing ever happens, in vain. That our God is “working all things together for good, for them that love Him.” 

May we pray for faith in Him. Faith that leads us to peace. And a peace that goes beyond our ability to understand the outcome. 

Ricky 

 

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 (NIV) 

“And the peace of God, which transcends (or passes, or surpasses) all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds, in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7 (NIV) 

 

 

Reality Check: Thoughts on Dying, Living and the stuff in the middle

I discovered today that J. D. Salinger passed away. Very sad. Not that we were buddies or close or even knew one another. But when an artist or author or public figure dies, it’s hard for us not to feel some attachment.

We associate with the works of people. Be it a building (think: Frank Lloyd Wright) or a car (Henry Ford) or a painting (Norman Rockwell) or a song (Michael Jackson). Or in this case, a book. We transfer our own life into that thing, whatever it is, and because we become a part of it, we feel close, even connected in some way, to its creator.

Catcher In the Rye was one of those timeless works (and actually one of my own favorites) that spoke personally to generations of people, young and old. Of course, Lee Harvey Oswald owning a copy and the ensuing assassination of President John F. Kennedy, did no harm to the book’s popularity.

But we identified with Salinger, maybe only in some tiny part. And we wonder what makes his work so influential, so powerful, so compelling. We think on him. We read him. We feel like we must have similarities. And we mourn him now. It’s a poignant loss, even though he was in his nineties.

I remember very well when my mother passed away. Not too very long ago. Funny how certain memories can be crystal clear, but at the same time, almost foggy. We were “expecting” her passing at some point, but nothing really prepares you fully for that.

I remember standing alone in the funeral parlor, looking at my mother lying there in her casket, and thinking about all the things I didn’t say. All the presents I forgot to give. All the visits I put off til later. All the conversations I should’ve lingered in. All the hugs I thought were trivial.

There’s nothing like death to make you think about life. There’s nothing like the sudden void that death leaves, to remind the living of how trivial this life can be at times.

But in her death, I also found a new focus. A new outlook. A different point of view and a fresh beginning. In some way, her death was part of God’s gift of continuing life. Even though we mourn the loss of someone, in their passing, God reminds us of our own mortality.

He shows us our past and reminds us of our once-optimistic gaze into our future. We feel a new start. A new foothold on things. And we tuck our old thoughts and memories and associations away into our pockets, dry our eyes and take a deep breath, and look out to the horizon, thinking about how much better things are going to be.

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 27:4 - One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Today’s Prayer: Father, as I go through this day and as I think on the subjects of death and loss, please help me to remember the greatest gift I have is the life that You’ve given me. And please help me to seek You and Your beauty, everyday.

Last Thoughts:

When someone dies, we don’t have to die (emotionally or spiritually) with them. Remember that life is beautiful and we’re blessed to live it.

When Christ died, his followers were in shambles. But through His death, they soon found encouragement and strength to do amazing things. Look ahead!

When celebrities die, we mourn them as if they were close friends. THINK ABOUT IT: Who (celebrity or public figure) do you identify with most closely? Why? And could you seek out better influences?

Depend on Him Again

Deuteronomy 31:6: Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid. For the Lord your God is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

That passage of scripture has become my personal anchor, as of late. For me, it reminds me that God is with me, as he has always been with me, and He will always be with me, regardless of me.

But even more, it’s important to not just take this verse at face value and pass it off as a shallow pond that we splash in. It’s much deeper than that.

Note that in the original context of this verse, Moses is reassuring Israel that God will not abandon them in their hour of need, then He goes on to encourage Joshua as he leads the people. The key point for me here, and the most interesting part of the whole thing, is that Moses is delivering this sermon of encouragement right as the children of Israel are poised to enter the promised land.

Do you wonder “Why, if they’re about to inherit all the blessings of the promised land, does Moses need to encourage them and reassure them?”

I believe it’s because Moses was wise enough to realize that in the times when we’re about to receive a prize or reward, something we’ve worked for or waited on, this is the time when we’re most venerable. We relax. We let down our guard. We get lazy or complacent. We become easier targets for the trials and temptations of our enemy.

I believe Moses was planting the seed of hope in his people when he told them “You’re about to have it all, but when trouble comes (and it will come), don’t lose hope. God is still with you. Remind yourself at that time, to depend again on Him.”