Everybody has moments where they feel a little sad. But some people encounter depression so fierce they don’t know if they’ll ever come out of it again.
Counselors identify six things that lead us to feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and helpless:
- A traumatic event
- Strained relationships
- Serious health problems
- Crushing disappointment
- Unchangeable circumstance
- Painful loss
Kay Warren has experienced all of those. Kay co-founded Saddleback Church with her husband, RickWarren, in California in 1979. She had been sexually abused, battled cancer and depression, and spent years trying to help her son, Matthew, battle his own depression – a battle she and Rick lost when Matthew died by suicide at the age of 27.
The amazing thing is that Kay has survived the difficulties of her journey and found hope again through Christ. Her healing has come about by reframing the ugliness of her scars. Her abuse, her fight for a strong marriage, her battle against cancer, and the death of her son stole beauty from her life and left scars in their wake.
But Isaiah 53:5 tells us that by Jesus’ “wounds we are healed” (ESV). He was unfairly judged, severely beaten, mocked with a crown of thorns, crucified with spikes driven through his feet and hands and a spear thrust into His side. Jesus’ death was more gruesome than we can imagine, yet His scars redeem us.
Our salvation reframes His scars into something beautiful. His scars bring life. Through the power of His Spirit within us, our wounds can also become beautiful if we’ll allow Him to use our scars to fill us and others with new life and hope.
I hope you’ll join us on your local radio station, online, oniTunes, via Podcast, or on our free phone appfor a special recorded message from Kay Warren on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Finding Hope Again.” With compassion and wisdom, she shares what joy really is, where to find it, how to choose it in the good times as well as the bad, and explains why true joy is deeper, richer, and more accessible than you might think.
If this program brings up painful memories for you, please give our counselors a call!We have caring Christian counselors on staff who would count it a privilege to offer you a free initial consultation. Call us, leave your name and number, and they’ll get back with you just as soon as possible. The number during business hours is 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
Let me also say that we here at Focus on the Family have been so dismayed by the rising rate of suicide, especially among our youth, that we’ve developed a helpful web-based resource called Alive to Thrive:A Biblical Guide to Preventing Teen Suicide.
Alive to Thriveis a free six-session program that includes video interviews with experts and roundtable discussions on how to prevent suicide. It is specifically designed to help you reach your children, tweens, and teens. It also includes interviews with suicide survivors and provides hope to kids in troubling situations. Best of all, this is a digital resource that we can put into your hands today. Check our websitefor full details.
Finally, I want to say thank you to all of our financial partners who make it possible for us to provide resources like this to hurting families! Know that lives are being saved through your effort. We couldn’t do it without you.
If you haven’t made a donation to Focus on the Family lately, let me encourage you to give today to help prevent teen suicide and to support parents who need help. For your gift of any amount, we’ll send you a copy of Kay Warren’s book ChooseJoy:BecauseHappinessIsn’tEnough.
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