I Am With God Now
and finally at peace




When Someone Takes His Own Life
by Norman Vincent Peale

In many ways,
this seems to be the most tragic form of death.
Often the stigma of suicide is what rests
most heavily on those left behind...

The Bible warns us not to judge,
if we ourselves hope to escape judgment.
And I believe that this is the one area that
Biblical command especially should be heeded.
For how do we know how many valiant battles such a
person may have fought and won before he
loses that one particular battle?
And is it fair that all the good acts and impulses of
such a person should be forgotten or blotted
out by his final tragic act?

I think our reaction should be one of love and pity,
not of condemnation.
Perhaps the person was not thinking clearly in his final
moments; perhaps he was so driven by emotional whirlwinds
that he was incapable of thinking at all.
This is terribly sad. But surely it is understandable.
All of us have moments when we lose control of ourselves,
flashes of temper, or irritation, or selfishness that we later regret.
Each one of us, probably, has a final breaking point - or
would have if our faith did not sustain us.
Life puts far more pressure on some of us than it does on others.
Some people have more stamina than others...

My heart goes out to those who are left behind,
because I know they suffer terribly...
The immediate family of the victim is left wide
open to tidal waves of guilt:
"What did I fail to do that I should have done?
What did I do that was wrong?"
To such grieving persons I can only say,
"Lift up your heads and your hearts.
Surely you did your best.
And surely the loved one who is gone did his best,
for as long as he could.
Remember, now, that his battles and torments are over.
Do not judge him, and do not presume to fathom the
mind of God where this one of His children is concerned."

A few years ago, when a young man died by his own hand,
a service for him was conducted by his pastor,
the Reverend West Stephens.
What he said that day expresses far more eloquently than I can,
the message that I'm trying to convey.
Here are some of his words:

"Our friend died on his own battlefield. He was killed in
action fighting a civil war.
He fought against adversaries that were as real
to him as his casket is real to us.
They were powerful adversaries.
They took toll of his energies and endurance.
They exhausted the last vestiges of his courage and his strength.
At last these adversaries overwhelmed him.
And it appeared that he had lost the war.
But did he?
I see a host of victories that he has won!

"For one thing - he has won our admiration -
because even if he lost the war,
we give him credit for his bravery on the battlefield.
And we give him credit for the courage and pride and hope
that he used as his weapons as long as he could.
We shall remember not his death,
but his daily victories gained through his kindnesses and
thoughtfulness, through his love for his family and friends...
for all things beautiful, lovely, and honorable.
We shall remember not his last day of defeat, but we shall
remember the many days that he was victorious over overwhelming odds.
We shall remember not the years we thought he had left,
but the intensity with which he lived the years that he had.
Only God knows what this child of His suffered in the
silent skirmishes that took place in his soul.
But our consolation is that God does know, and understands."

IF IKNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say;I love you;
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

>If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say I love you,;
And certainly there's another chance to say

Anything I can do?

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry
Please forgive me;Thank you ;It's okay;
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.



Author Unknown

Robbie's Photo Album
Robbie's Scrapbook
Remembering Robbie
Robbie's Balloons come Home
Coping with Suicide
Final Words For Robbie
A Sister's Love For Robbie
In Memory Of Loved Ones Lost
Awards for Robbie
Robbie
Robbie's Service
Farewell to Robbie
Index to My Poems
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