The month of September is Suicide Prevention month and schools and agencies all across the nation are giving voice to something that is preventable. Each day in our country, there are on average, over 5,000 suicide attempts by young people in grades 7 through 12. To break it down even further, in 2016, suicide was the second leading cause of death in Kentucky for people ages 15 to 24.
We live in a time where we all are subject to a great deal of stress, anxiety, pain, depression, fear, and thoughts of isolation and suicide. Through our community and through our faith, we know that we are never alone, that the endless support of this community and unending love of God is alive and real in the next closest person that we see.
So with that knowledge and challenge, I offer a moment of peace through the unitive power of prayer. May these words bring comfort and healing.
Loving God, Gentle Spirit,
We come to you today asking for your unending support.
There are times in our life, when we feel that we cannot take another step.
Give us the courage to inch forward.
There are times in our life, when the weight of the world feels too much to bear.
Stand with us and carry our bourdon.
There are times in our life, when we feel that we cannot leave the comfort and isolation of our beds, because the world outside our door seems too great and too large.
Be with us God within that darkness and shine forth your light so that we may be able to see the goodness of your creation.
Christ, we know that we are never alone, but sometimes that is hard to believe. In the dark night of our souls, Oh God, when even you seem too far away, send forth a loving friend, a simple text message, a caring animal, a gentle breeze, and remind us that your presence is alive here on Earth in every aspect of creation.
For there is goodness, beauty, light, and joy in everything that we see. While our pain and weakness may feel too much to manage, it is only temporary. Our cracks, our brokenness that is where the light comes in. That is where the love gets in. For when we gather our many broken pieces, we celebrate communion and we our together made whole in the loving presence of our friends, our family, our community, and our God.
We take all of this God and give it to you.
Amen.
nicholsrobert 