National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
by Pastor Elisabeth Smith
I have been troubled by the recent spate of suicides among college athletes. At least 5 NCAA have died by suicide in less than 2 months: Sarah Shulze, Katie Meyer, Jayden Hill, Robert Martin, and Lauren Bennett. It seemed like they had everything to live for, every reason to stay alive. But perhaps there were things going on beneath the surface that no one knew about.
I remember the first time one of my peers committed suicide. It was while I was in college. His nickname was "Flip." He was a couple of years older than me, but I knew him from school. He was a great guy, funny, always making people laugh, getting the last word in, teasing the teachers just to the edge of getting in trouble but not stepping over the line. He was the in the band, played trumpet. Did well in his classes. Attended Wofford College and made the dean's list. I heard that he had been accepted into several medical schools and was just deciding which one to attend. But one day during spring break, his parents came home to find him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Just like that, a promising life was snuffed out.
I think that perhaps Flip was feeling pressure, pressure to meet expectations that may or may not have been real. Pressure to perform to a certain standard. Pressure to make certain grades. Pressure to achieve certain things. And even thought he was perfectly capable of achieving his goals and meeting those expectations, he felt incapable, and rather than disappoint anyone, including himself, he chose to end his life. It was a tragedy then, and it is a tragedy now.
In the past week, we have also been saddened by the death of Naomi Judd, also an apparent victim of suicide due to her battle with depression. There are millions of Americans who struggle with depression or other form of mental illness. For many - perhaps most of them - medication and therapy are sufficient to treat their illness, or at least keep it manageable. But for some, like Naomi, it became too much to handle. I am not surprised that she chose to end her life just before she was to go onstage to accept her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. When you feel as if you are unworthy and undeserving, the last thing you will want to do is get in front of a microphone and television camera and talk about how proud you are to receive such an honor and recognition for your work. In many ways, her life ended for the same reasons as Flip's.
I want to say to any of you who are fighting depression, you can win this battle. There is hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You will make it. There are options besides ending your life. If you feel desperate and out of choices, please call the telephone number at the top of this message. Reach out to someone. You can always contact me, I am not a trained psychiatrist, but I will listen, and I will do my best to get you to the right kind of help. Don't give up without talking to someone first. You are worth it. You are worth it because you are a child of God, a child whom God loves so much.
If someone you love seems to be in a dark place, and you don't feel able to reach them, call the number above and someone will help you get the help you need. If you aren't sure, reach out. Ask questions. Find out what is going on with your friend or family member. If all else fails, take them to the emergency room. Get some help. This isn't something you can take care of on your own.
We all need an assist now and then. That's why God calls us into community. No one gets through life without wounds and scars and battles hard fought. And it helps to know that there are people on your side in the midst of the struggle. You have your church family who will pray with you and for you. We love you.
Take care of yourselves and please stay safe out there. I'm praying for you. Pastor Elisabeth