911

The phone rang. The man on the other end of the line incoherently rambled through tears. Life stunk. He had lost his brother to death. He was facing the possible death of his daughter and another family member.

The only pain medicine available to him was alcohol and porn. They weren't working. So, he called a stranger. We talked about spiritual things. We talked about concrete life change. Finally, he refused to answer the phone. It was most likely that suicide was the reason. So, I called 9-1-1 and MHMR. They were on their way. Situation handled. Right?

I could not leave the phone dangling. So, there I was with the police, fire and EMT crews. When everyone cleared out, we again talked about spiritual realities and real physical changes. This story is like dozens I could relate. People often sit at the edge of their bed and view it as the end of life. It is similar to sitting on the edge of a canyon - certain that the best alternative is a quick flight to the end.

Let life continue. Let life go past the moment you are stuck in. It will pass. Clarity comes not when we surrender our lives to a physical death, but when we accept a spiritual death. What I mean is a death of a different kind. This death is a choice to quit running our life and let God set the course. Give it a chance. Choose the God of life.