Happy September, lovely people!
September is both• Suicide Prevention Monthand Sickle Cell Awareness Month
In scripture, an apostle of Christ explains that there are many works of God worth boasting about but when it comes to himself, he will not boast except in his weaknesses (ref- 2 Cor.12:1-7)—because when he was weak, he pleaded with God and was responded to.
Corinthians 12: 9-10 “But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I [the apostle Paul] will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
◊ Did you know that weakness could be the catalyst of effectively seeing God’s power? That these times are the perfect means whereby God invites you to receive a supernatural kind of strength if you, too, pray?
This is the thought I want to leave with those struggling with suicidal thoughts or sickle cell disease. God has not forsaken you, and I hope you feel loved in being seen today. (see also: Romans 8:18)
◊ For those being reminded or made aware today of the fact that some people you may not expect do live (walk, work, and interact) with invisible mental health issues or chronic illnesses, I think about the greatest commandments of God:
Matthew 22:36-40 “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”… and “… Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Many of you seek to live this way! So, another way you can proactively love your neighbor is by deciding to assume the best about them. And then to trust the God you serve to handle and hold accountable those cases whenever someone may abuse this. On your end, you can assume the best that maybe a person isn’t being lazy but are reasonably tired. Not anti-social maybe insecure. Not mean-spirited maybe lost in troubling thoughts. Not inconsiderate but may be unsure of how to communicate an issue. And so on, and are simply in need of a little extra love.
If you’re reading this, know that God sees the best in you and knows how to love you where you are. And if you encounter me, I will always hone in on your highlights.
Blessings to you this month!