Today we will continue with the Guest Post series, The Battle Within. I am so thankful for the opportunity to share my blog with a lovely woman named Jane. Be sure to check out her blog, and leave your comments below!
This past weekend was normal for my family. Just like any other weekend, we worked on our yard, spent time with the kids and went to church. The sermon was right in line with what I needed to hear, but one of the prayer requests rocked our community to the core. The loss of a local teacher to suicide brought about a request for prayer for her family and those affected by her loss. I did not know her personally. My daughter did, as she taught her art class, which brought about a whole new level of pain as I watch my young daughter struggle with the pain of losing someone she looked up to.
I wish I could have talked with her and told her that there is another way. There is someone who will take your pain and glorify your suffering in ways you could never imagine. I wish I could have told her the difference she made in others lives whether she realized it or not. I am sure her family is wishing way more than I am and seeking answers that they will never truly find. No one can ever truly know the pain that another is feeling that drives them to end their own life. I imagine it is very painful, and the suffering is great. What I wish most for anyone in this situation is that there in that moment where the pain is so great, the world is so dark and the suffering is so bad….you can and will find Jesus there waiting.
You see, we cannot win these battles. We may try and try, but in the end we will lose because we lack the ability and the strength to fight the demon called depression. The Lord, however, is fully equipped and ready to take that fight and win. When we are so weak and in the darkest of places, that is when God is the strongest. In those moments we must allow Him to take the fight and win. We must surrender our feelings and our emotions to Him and allow Him to do what He wants to do for us..resurrect our souls into a whole new beginning.
I cannot say for sure what types of battles she was fighting, but I do know it could have glorified the Lord in so many ways. We all face dark times, no one is immune. I have been in those dark places and there have been times that for a split second I thought “ If I just end it now I won’t have to suffer anymore.” But in another split second I think of my children, my husband and my friends and family. I think of the suffering I would cause them and the unanswered questions I would leave them with. I think of my struggle and how, one day, the Lord will use it to lift another up who faces the same struggles. I begin to see His light in my darkness and He lifts me out of the pit I am in.
Friends, when you enter the darkest seasons of your life, please know you are not alone. You do not struggle in darkness without a lamp that will light your path. You do not walk alone without the one who will walk you through that valley. When you are feeling so low that ending your life seems like the only option, please reach out to someone. Reach out to me if you need too. Just please reach out to someone and let them help you find the light. He is there, even when you think you cannot see Him. Let Him win this battle…..He can and He will….if you let Him.
Jane Reed
is the author and creator of The Green Tomato Experience blog and the owner of Jane Reed Photography. She spends the majority of her time in the kitchen where she finds peace and harmony in her life. She is known to enjoy Starbucks Frappucinos even though she knows she shouldn’t. Her favorite woman in the Bible is Ruth because she loves her perseverance and integrity. She is currently working on an amazing cookbook that she hopes will bring peace and joy to your kitchens as well!! All photographs are property of Jane Reed Photography and come from Jane’s personal Stele Collection.
Defying Shadows 