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“It’s been a rough week…”
That has been my response all week long when people innocently ask, “How are you?”
If someone was expecting the typical, “I’m fine, how are you?”, well… they were in for a big surprise.
On Monday, a dear friend, Jim McManmon – brother in Christ, active Church member, husband to Roberta, father to Sean and Erin, grand-daddy to Maya, brother and lover of life, friend to all… took his own life…
So… yes… it’s been a rough week.
For everyone…
I wish I had magical words that in a paragraph of 50 words or less would explain away and answer all the “why” questions each of us raise and make all of us feel better in less than 90 seconds of reading and then we could go on our way, back to our normal routine.
But…
That’s not going to happen today.
I am wondering if you can do what I and many other have been doing all week…
Just sit with it…
Sit in the presence of the reality that a person you adored took his own life.
Sit with the word “suicide” stuck in your throat, unable to say it out loud without wincing and weeping.
Sit with the blankness that comes to mind when you shout, “Why Jim, Why?”
Sit with the tears that run down your face at the pain of it all.
It’s hard isn’t it?
We live in a society where a pill, an app, a quick fix is always at the ready.
What happens when there isn’t?
We sit!
And as we sit, know this from the lips of Jesus,
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
May you… May I be comforted by the One who can comfort us during such a rough time, a rough day, a rough week…
We will hold a Memorial Service for Jim McManmon on Saturday, February 9^th at the Mountain View Presbyterian Church at 4:00 pm (8601 Del Webb Blvd. Las Vegas, NV. 89134).
I hope to see you there…
Until then…
Please sit still…
Grace and peace,
Pastor David
#suicide #grief #comfort #questions #why #sittingstill

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