Overcoming Suicidal ThoughtsSample

### God Sees You I don’t know what you are going through, but I honor your feelings and your pain. And God does too. He is not just waiting for you to get over it. He’s not distant, disengaged, or disappointed in you. He wants to comfort you. Once, Elijah felt so hopeless that he asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4). God heard him. He did not tell Elijah to just get over it or to have more faith. Instead, He had Elijah get some rest. He sent an angel with water and food to provide for him. God saw Elijah, knew what he needed, and cared for him in that dark moment. In my life, the level of depression and despair I felt at times was so painful that it felt as if my best friend died, my girlfriend broke up with me, my house burned down with everything I owned, and I lost my job—all in one day. Thoughts of suicide haunted me. I lost interest in daily activities, felt little to no happiness or peace, and truly believed things would never get better. Sometimes, we experience that level of hopelessness due to the ways we have been bullied, rejected, or abused. At other times, we experience despair when our circumstances feel unbearable. In each painful season, God saw me. He provided friends and mentors to speak life and hope into me. I’d come across Bible verses and songs that reminded me He had a plan for me and cared. His presence was tangible, and I felt His love and comfort. It was important in these times to acknowledge my feelings, press into God, and walk alongside people I trusted. I had to fight hard to believe that God would see me through my suffering and that the darkness would lift. It helped to recall times where God saw me through seemingly impossible situations. I remembered daily that God still had a good plan for my future and that I was deeply valuable loved by Him. Remembering these things gave me a glimpse of hope. So, let me remind you today that God sees you and cares. You are a gift to this world. You are made in His image and infinitely valuable. He made you on purpose and for a great purpose. No one has, does, or ever will look like you, love like you, act like you, or be you. Ephesians 2:10 says that you are “God’s masterpiece” and that you are created for good works that he already has planned. If you’re thinking of giving up, please stay. Stay because there is comfort ahead, peace, and healing. Stay because real help and answers to your pain exist. Stay because we need your love, gifts, and presence. Stay because you are irreplaceable. You are the only one who can do what you were created to do. Stay because this life is not all there is. As dark as it may be, our pain is temporary. Jesus is coming back, and one day He will make all things right. God, give me hope.