Monthly Archives: December 2013

Lost Choices

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When we went to Ecuador with the Timmy Foundation (now Timmy Global Health) in 2000 on a medical mission trip, my daughter Rozie wanted to bring a young boy back home with us.  His name was Rene’ and he lived in the orphanage visited by our group during our time in Quito.  On our first work day, I had gone to shadow an Ecuadorean pediatrician at the Tierra Nueva Clinic in the south part of the city and my mom with Garrett and Rozie went to an orphanage run by the Daughters of Charity. This is the same order of Sisters who run St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis and this orphanage bore the same name. When we met up that evening for dinner at the retreat center that was our home for the week, the first words the kids said to me were, “Mom, you have to come with us tomorrow to the orphanage.  All the kids are sick!”  With a little rearranging of schedules, I was able to go with them the next day.  Our group was working with a classroom of 6 and 7 year olds.  Several of them were ill with coughs and more than a few had scabies.  We had brought with us a large collection of medications from the US so I was able the next day to bring back what each of the kids needed. I was glad to go to the orphanage even though this wasn’t on my original agenda.  I was able to help out a little, to love on the kids in the orphanage and to meet Rene’.

Rene’ was a handsome 6-year-old with soulful big brown eyes.  Rozie bonded with him the first day and they were buddies all week.  It was near the end of our stay that she asked me if we could adopt him from the orphanage.  We were told when we first came that by law the children in orphanages could only be adopted by Ecuadorean families.  So my answer to her had to be no.  The good-byes when we left the last day were tearful. Rozie was not the only one crying for many in our group had become close to the children in their care that week.  My friend, Scott who was one of the leaders of our group, had to tear himself away from a little boy who had been so ill with bronchitis earlier but was now improved greatly with antibiotics.  He asked me if I thought he would be ok.  Yes he would, but would we? It was so difficult for us to leave.

It was about 6 months later that Padre (Father) Jose’ Carollo, the priest who founded Tierra Nueva Clinic in South Quito, came to the US for a visit at Christmas.  Padre was a big bear of a man who loved to hug everyone around him.  We came to love him for who he was and what he had done over his lifetime for the poor in Quito.  Everywhere in Quito if the name of Padre Carollo was mentioned, doors would open in welcome.  He was like the Mother Theresa of Ecuador.  Padre did not speak English but the love of Jesus radiated from him.  He knew that some of us from our group had become very attached to the children in the St. Vincent Orphanage. Through interpretation by my friend Scott who speaks fluent Spanish, Padre said to me that he could help us get around the rule that the orphans could only be adopted by Ecuadorean parents.  He was so well thought of and had so much influence in Quito that I was sure he could help us adopt Rene’ if I gave the word to move forward.

Thoughts raced through my mind. What should I do?  It had only been a year since my marriage had dissolved.  I was basically a single mom to my 3 children.  Was it fair to them or to Rene’ to bring him into our family at this time?  My heart said that I should say no so he would have a chance to be adopted by an Ecuadorean family and stay in his own country. I thanked Padre for his offer of help but I told him no that day 13 years ago.

Many times I have wondered how Rene’ is doing and I have prayed for him often.  His picture with Rozie hung on our refrigerator for years.  I found out through Padre Carollo that all the children in his class were eventually adopted.  My hope was that a loving family found him and gave him opportunities to succeed in Ecuador. He would be 19 now!

We all have crossroads in our lives when a certain choice takes us down one path and not another.  Some are active choices and some we simply don’t choose.  Not choosing is a choice in itself.  In Andy Andrews’ book, “The Lost Choice” he explains this concept when he says, “You have been created with the ability to change the world.  Every single choice you make…every singe action you take…matters.  But remember, the converse is also true.  Every choice you do not make…every action you do not take…matters just as much!”  When I was given the choice to help Shadrach or not in 1993, I said yes.  This took me on a journey that changed my life and his forever.  The effect of this one decision rippled through my whole family and community.  The results have been dramatic.  I thank God for prompting me to take the risk to say yes even though it seemed a little crazy at the time. My life has been blessed beyond belief because of this one decision.

As we cross over into the new year this week,  it is an appropriate time to take an inventory of the choices we have made in the past year.  Whether we judge these choices to be good or bad, there is no doubt that they have made a difference in our lives and the lives of those in our circle of influence.  Many years ago I had the choice to pursue adopting a young boy from Ecuador.  I don’t know if I would even have been successful if I would have accepted help from Padre Carollo.  Was it the “right” choice to leave him in the orphanage to be adopted later by an Ecuadorean family?  I may never know the answer to this question this side of heaven.  This was a “Lost Choice” in that I can never go back to change that decision.  But I trust that my God answers prayers. And because of this trust, I know that Rene’ has always been held in the palm of God’s hand and he is right where He wants him to be.

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This story was written to honor the memory of Padre Jose’ Carollo who died in the mid 2000’s of cancer.  I feel fortunate to have met this friend of Jesus.  When in Ecuador I told Padre Carollo that I regretted not being able to share in the Eucharist during mass in his church since I am not catholic.  In response, he asked me, “Don’t we believe in the same God?”  “Yes,” I answered.  Next he said something I will never forget. “I will serve you the Eucharist.”  If more of us in the Church universal were as inclusive as Padre Carollo, our world would be transformed for Christ.  Thank you Padre for your Christ-like example.  Throughout your life, you were the hands and feet of Jesus.

 

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

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When my kids were young, I found myself telling them that they could do or be anything they wanted if they worked hard enough to achieve their goal.  This is the American Dream, isn’t it?  As I have grown older (and I hope a little wiser with experience), I realize that what I told them was not absolutely true.  We all have certain talents and temperaments that give us the ability to achieve more easily in some areas and not in others.  I could no more be a concert pianist than fly to the moon.  I certainly appreciate beautiful music but I don’t have the aptitude to learn how to read musical notes.  For some folks music just naturally flows. Not me.  I studied both French and Spanish in school but barely can read texts from either language now. However, I have a friend who knows 4 languages fluently and picked up Italian because he was going to Italy for a wedding!  I envy greatly his ability to communicate in this way but regardless of how much effort I put into improving my fluency in French or Spanish, it could never match his level of expertise.  But put me in a medical clinic or a hospital and I am in my element.  I feel comfortable in that environment.  The thought of blood and needles doesn’t make me squeamish.  It’s like I was made for medicine.  It’s where I fit.

Each one of us is a unique, one-of-a-kind creation meant to fill a role to which we are specifically qualified.  We are as King David stated in Psalm 139, “fearfully and wonderfully made.”  God knows all the days set out for us before we were even born.  Through the prophet Jeremiah He says, ” I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  We are all meant to glorify God in everything we do, even the most menial of tasks.  Brother Lawrence in his book, “Practicing the Presence of God” described how he honored God through cooking in the kitchen of his monastery.  This was his task, however insignificant it seemed.  He did it to the best of his ability for God’s glory through the end of his life. He was where God wanted him to be, doing what he was made to do.

Sometimes it can take what seems like an eternity to discover where we were meant to be and what we are to do with our lives. The talents that are hard-wired into us may seem elusive or non-existent.  My daughter, Anna has explored varied career paths over the years to find each time that she didn’t fit.  It was agonizing for her to start again along another avenue.  Photography has been her love through it all but it seemed to be more of a hobby than a career opportunity.  It wasn’t until she was encouraged by a good friend to look into studying visual design that everything began to fall into place.  It took a great deal of effort on her part but she was accepted into Herron School of Art in Indianapolis and is now a second semester Junior in their Visual Design program.  She has been able to join her artistic talent in photography with her computer expertise to create phenomenal design projects.  It is truly amazing how her skills have developed over the 2 1/2 years she has studied at Herron.  She has found herself in her art.  She was created for this.

Recently Anna has helped me redesign the cover for “Letters Out of Africa” in preparation to publish it as a paperback.  She has led me through the process of page layout and the selection of fonts.  I have given her feedback about what elements I feel need to be included to authentically represent the book content.  I think we make a good team. The result is amazing.  We’re not quite done but the finished product should be ready for bookshelves soon!

So when I have the opportunity to advise young people how they should go about deciding on a career path, I have rearranged what I say to them.  You can’t do just anything you desire but you are made to do something unique and beautiful.  God created each one of us with special talents that no one else has.  You must look deep within to discover where your dreams are leading you.  What skills just come naturally?  Do you have an artist’s way of seeing the world or the ear to hear the music of creation all around you?  Do you have the compassionate heart of a healer or the courage of a protector?  Could your gift of gab be turned into the skills needed for marketing a product or service?  One must look within to answer these questions but should also prayerfully use the observations and wisdom of others for guidance.

I always knew that Anna saw her world differently than the other kids.  Perhaps she was always visualizing it through the lens of a camera seeing form and shadows in a way others are not able.  Discovering this for herself took some time and heartache but now she’s on a path to becoming all she was created to be, fearfully and wonderfully made by God.

 

 

Love Came Down

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Of the many gifts given at Christmas, the one our heart truly longs to give and to receive is love.  In every wrapped package, I desire to show in some outward expression my love for family and friends.  Sometimes the manic pace of the holiday season gets in the way of love and  good intentions are replaced by impatience and frustration.  It is beneficial to step back, slow down and reflect on what gift was really given on that first Christmas.

There is an old hymn written in the mid 1800’s that is entitled, “Love Came Down On Christmas.”  God is described as love and Jesus’ entrance into the world embodied God’s expression of love for humanity.  There are many names given to Jesus:  wonderful counselor, mighty God, prince of peace, the lion of Judah, the bright morning star, the Word,  Emmanuel (God with us) are only a few.  All these names give us a little different picture of the many qualities of Jesus.  But doesn’t “Love” encompass them all?

A close inspection of the Gospels, reveals Jesus repeatedly loving people where they were.  He touched the untouchables, He dined with the despised, and He associated with sinners.  His mission was to love the lost and bring them back to God.  He didn’t come to condemn but to save.  His coming to earth in human form was a huge sacrifice in itself but to die for us was beyond belief.  God loves us that much.  He is love magnified to a level we really can’t comprehend.

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, the only people He chastised were those who judged others and put huge burdens on them of laws they couldn’t uphold.  The law was more important to them than love and this was counter to Jesus’ mission.  He had no kind words for the religious leaders of his day. He called them vipers and white washed tombs.  They were pretty on the outside but dead inside.  Jesus had a way of seeing right through external trappings to who a person really was inside.  This eventually lead to his crucifixion.

So how are we to respond to this gift of love that came down on Christmas?  Jesus’ command was to love one another as He loved us.  This is sacrificial love that knows no boundaries.  We are called to love the unlovable, to love people who think differently or act differently than ourselves.  We are to love sinners as Jesus loved them because if we are honest with ourselves we all fall in this category.  We are not called to judge others.  This is Jesus’ job, not ours. This doesn’t mean we don’t stand up for justice when needed. However, when we stand up for an issue, we must ask ourselves, “Am I lifting people up or tearing them down”  with my words?  Telling the truth in love can be a difficult task.  If we drive people away from Jesus by our words, then we need to consider if we should hold our words out of love. As directed in a quote attributed to St. Francis, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.”  Our loving actions speak volumes more than our words ever will.

Jesus came down on Christmas as Love to show us how to love and to save us for love.  Let us carry on His mission to the world this Christmas in everything we do and say.

 

Watchful Waiting

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Waiting for Christmas to finally arrive was so difficult as a child.  I remember waking early on Christmas morning to peek down the stairs to see if Santa had come.  The year I bounded down the stairs to find a new bicycle with training wheels beside our tree, I was ecstatic.  I have an old black and white photo of me still in my pj’s on that bike with a wide smile on my face.  What great memories!

I still enjoy Christmas but the waiting is different.  As a parent and especially for mom’s, there is so much preparation to get ready for Christmas.  All the decorating, baking, buying and wrapping gifts, and cleaning the house can be overwhelming.  But it’s all worth the wait to see the smiling faces of my family and friends when we gather together.  I think I like the laughter best when we reminisce about old times.  This is often the case when that reminiscing involves stories of the crazy things I was unaware that my kids and their cousins did in their younger years.  We can chuckle about these memories now since these “true confessions” occur long after the actual events and my grown children have survived to tell about them.  My family is very boisterous and conversations can be quite animated. It can be a little intimidating for those first experiencing these interactions.  But for me, these are the times that I long for at Christmas.  Presents are fun but don’t really mean much compared to the gifts of love and joy.  This is what I wait for expectantly every year.

Advent in the Christian calendar is the time of waiting prior to the birth of Jesus.  In the dictionary, Advent means “the coming or arrival especially of something very important.”  The Jewish people had waited on the Messiah for hundreds of years.  He was to be the very special one who would come to save His people.  When He did arrive, He came in such a lowly, humble way that most people didn’t recognize the gift in their midst.  But there were two elderly people who had been watchfully waiting for years to see Jesus.  Their names were Anna and Simeon.  We don’t know much about them except that they were in the temple in Jerusalem when Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus on the 8th day after His birth for dedication and circumcision as was the Jewish custom.  The Spirit of God opened their eyes so they were able to recognize who Jesus was and they both were overjoyed to know that He had finally arrived.  The gift of salvation for their people was here at last. Their waiting was over.

It’s been a little over 2000 years since the gift of Jesus arrived.  So much clutter surrounds Christmas that we sometimes forget to appreciate what was given to us so long ago.  Jesus is in our midst if we allow our eyes to be opened to see Him like Anna and Simeon.  He is Emmanuel, “God with us,” within us.  But shouldn’t we also be watchfully waiting as they did, for Jesus to come again, not just in Spirit but in physical form?  Didn’t He tell us over and over that He would be back?  Maybe since it has been so long since He walked on earth, we are tired of waiting.  We’re used to the way things are here and have become somewhat numb to the news about tragedy, illness and death.  We watch evil 24/7 on round-the-clock newscast until we accept life as it is.

But hope says, “evil doesn’t win”.  This was a recent statement that came from a parent who lost her child in the Newtown school shooting just a year ago.  With such horrific acts of violence all around us, we need to remember that we’ve been told the end of the story.  The very last chapter in the Bible, tells us that there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth.  The old, worn out world will pass away.  And God will come live with us forever.  Evil will be no more.  No more tears, no more suffering, no more children dying.

I wait for this expectantly, on tip toes, watching for the greatest gift of all to return.  Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Fish and Loaves

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As a child, I remember often having impromptu guests in our home for dinner. My mother approached this dilemma with grace. She would have prepared enough for our family but not enough for an extra person or two.  What would she do to offer hospitality?  Always she would divide what we had no matter how sparse it appeared.  If we had 4 pieces of meat, these were all divided in half to give us 8.  Everything else was served “family style” by passing the bowls of vegetables and other side dishes to each guest.  Invariably, when the meal was over, we would have leftovers even though before hand we didn’t have enough.  It was the miracle of the fish and loaves in action.  In God’s economy, when we share, we always have enough. Everyone is satisfied.

I once heard a pastor in a sermon give an alternate explanation of the miracle of the fish and loaves.  In the story, the disciples and Jesus are in a very desolate place with a huge crowd of people.  The gospel writers estimate the group to number about 5000.  It was common at that time to only count the men, so with women and children the number would have been much greater.  It was getting late and the disciples urged Jesus to disperse the crowd so they could leave to find something to eat.  Instead of doing the obvious, Jesus instead told the disciples to feed the crowd. How were they to do this?  A young boy offered what he had: 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish.  Jesus had the crowd sit. He blessed the food and broke it.  When it was passed around there was enough leftover to fill 12 baskets. Was the food multiplied by Jesus or as the food was being passed did others in the crowd add what they had brought as provisions for themselves?  Often food would be carried in a person’s cloak. No one would see it unless it was revealed by that person.  Could it be that when the boy shared what he had, everyone else shared what they might have hoarded for themselves otherwise?  Whether Jesus multiplied the fish and the loaves or whether the 5000 openly shared what they had doesn’t matter.  The story still reveals a miracle.  Jesus is able to touch hearts in such a way that they are willing to share and there is always enough.  Everyone is satisfied.

I was in Haiti on a medical mission in 2000 and daily we went out among the people to treat many illnesses.  We each were accompanied by an interpreter.  Most of them were young Haitian men who had learned English and used their services to earn a little money for themselves and their families.  On the first day at lunch, we realized as we sat down to eat that we had been sent only enough lunches for our American group.  There was nothing for our interpreters.  Without a word, we all began to break our sandwiches and fruit in half to share with each of them.  There was more than enough to feed us all.  We were all satisfied. We made sure that during the rest of our mission,  lunches were sent for the interpreters too.

Over this Christmas season as we hurry to prepare gifts and meals for our loved ones, remember those who are left out, the ones that won’t have a meal prepared for them.  Share some of your abundance with them and experience first hand the miracle of the fish and the loaves.  You will find that there will be more than enough to feed everyone and all will be satisfied.

Praying for Chain Saws

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My friend, Dan Lutes has been active in mission work all over the world.  He has spent time participating in building projects in the Philippines as well as Viet Nam, Liberia and Appalachia.  Recently he sent me an email from a friend of his in the Philippines giving an update on their needs since the Super Typhoon struck the islands a few short weeks ago.  This man on the ground related that there was now a good supply of food and water available but what they really needed was chain saws.  It does make sense that they would need these but frankly it would have been the last thing I would think to donate.  They need the chain saws to cut down the trees that are either already down or near to falling down to use the wood to rebuild.  It would be much less expensive to use wood right at the site of the devastation than to ship it in from elsewhere.  This is resourcefulness at its best.  While most of us are still thinking of relief efforts, these people are developing plans to rebuild their community.

As is often the case, what is donated to mission is not always what is needed by the people involved.  Relief efforts are great in the first few days to weeks after a disaster but if relief is all that is given without development efforts, then it produces a still needier group of people dependant on outside resources indefinitely.  It’s relatively easy to send food, water, clothing, tents, medicines but it’s much more difficult and time-consuming to rebuild a community’s infrastructure as well as its ability to sustain itself.  This takes a joint effort between the people in need and the missioners.  In this model the missioners empower the people to help themselves. They are given a “hand up”, not a “hand out”.  It involves a lot of listening to the real needs of the people and not taking a paternalistic attitude toward them.  Usually education and shared knowledge are a big part in development.  Missioners have to be able to stand back and let the people of the community be in charge.  Historically most missions have not done this.

In the book, “When Helping Hurts”  the topic of how best to give without hurting others or yourself is explored in-depth.  It’s a great book to read for anyone with an interest in mission work either here or abroad.  After reading it, I had a great sense of sadness when I realized that how I gave probably hurt more people than it helped.  Too often I performed a task that I could have taught someone in country to do themselves.  The instances when I have been able to work beside the doctors in Haiti and in Ecuador, have been the most fulfilling.  I was helping these healers to better serve their own people after I was long gone back to America.

I urge all those who give to charities over the Christmas season to really look at what those groups do and how they carry out their work.  It’s important to look at how much of the money donated goes to administrative costs.  Generally if it’s over 20% then there is a problem.  Also see how much gets earmarked for development of communities, not just relief efforts.  The best missions should be doing both.

I am including in this post the letter sent to me by Dan Lutes from “World Mission Builders” in the Philippines.  My husband and I plan to send them a donation for their chain saws.  I’ll be excited to see pictures in the future of their homes and churches rebuilt and their communities revitalized through their own efforts with this “hand up” rather than a “hand out.”  If you want to join in this effort, the contact information is included.

 

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November 31, 2013

2nd LEYTE RELIEF TRIP

Hi Ed and all co-workers,

Christian greetings!

The second trip was safe and successful. Thanks to all of your prayers!

Before we left for Leyte, the preachers in Bohol held a meeting at my church to plan the trip to be able to reach most of the churches in Leyte faster and in a shorter time. You know, Leyte is a big island.

During the meeting, we decided to split the group into two teams. The first team headed by Rene Perez was assigned to the churches facing Cebu seas and the second team headed by me was assigned to the churches on the other side of the island facing the Pacific. This is the place where you can find much damage and casualties.

We brought relief goods and cash for distribution.

We left Bohol port at 1pm on board a slow boat with our vehicles and slept the night at Hilongos, at my brother’s house near the port. Early at dawn the groups started the long drive to our respective destination.

My group crossed to the other side of the island under the rain. The road is full of military vehicles protecting convoys of big cargo trucks. We saw foreign nationals riding on these trucks.

Upon reaching the other side of the island, we saw devastation, a seemingly endless devastation. The mark left by the storm surge that kills thousands of people was very clear.

We reached Abuyog town where we have two churches situated far from each other. The other one can only be reached by a pump boat. We left Henry there to personally deliver the goods and the money for the church. We also learned that the other church is located at a very remote place unpassable by our vehicle. We called up the church preacher to meet us and get his goods and money at Abuyog town center.

We proceeded to a long trip straight to Tacloban passing devastated communities.

We reached Tacloban on time as planned. We were pleased to see that our brethren there are basically fine. Our Tacloban and La Paz house churches got less damage from the super typhoon. God’s protection for His people is clearly seen. Teo Bojos the preacher of Tacloban and Eli Melguiades of La Paz, their families and their church members are safe. Teo was out of town when we got there.

Based on what we saw, it is my suggestion that we will stop sending food help now because the vast food relief from foreign countries is now being felt among the affected communities. This recommendation will however never stop other donors who wish to extend food help.

What we now see is the immediate needs of helping our people rebuild their destroyed churches and homes. This is a big work that will take some time or even years to finish but we need to start it right now.

We recommend that the World Mission Builders will purchase 2 units of gas-powered chain saws to be used in cutting and sawing trees for church and house building reconstructions. The island is full of falling trees ready to be used for reconstruction. This is the cheapest, easiest and fastest way of helping than buying expensive wood materials for reconstruction. We have men who know to operate chain saws in Leyte. The chain saws will remain the property of WMB. We will only let it be used in Leyte and Bohol for rebuilding.

The price of a good kind chain saw STIHL brand is P54,000 a piece.

Almost all of our member’s houses were also destroyed. Candelaria church is also totally destroyed but we were not able to reach there and another couple of churches which are located in remote areas.

In behalf of our suffering church families in Leyte and Bohol, we hope and pray that someone can donate funds in buying the chain saws. It will surely help our affected people stand again!

Also, in behalf of all the recipients of the two relief trips that we had, we would like to say thank you for all your donations.

God bless you all!

In Christ,

Jun

_

 

__________________________________________________________________

Greetings Suzanne,

Our main coordinator on the ground is Ed Thomas and his email is wmbed@juno.com [mailto:wmbed@juno.com]

 He is in the Philippines but check should be mailed to his home address, he requests that you send him an email so he knows what’s coming.

World Mission Builders

8160 S.E. Star Rd.

Baxter Springs, KS 66713

You can be assured that 100% of your money is going to the cause…no admin etc.

 Blessings.

Dan Lutes

The Saddest Season

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We all hold in our hearts the vision of a perfect Christmas.  Whether you call it Christmas or not, there is within us this longing for a gathering of our loved ones to share a meal together and connect with each other in a deep, meaningful way.  In this vision, the house is decorated perfectly.  All the food is delicious.  And every gift is just what each person wanted.

The problem is that this is not reality. We overcook the turkey.  The dog vomits on the living room floor right before our guests arrive.  Our aunt who always causes trouble at every get-together is at it again.  And there is someone missing from the table.  Our heart aches for them while we’re trying our best to be merry.

Christmas can be the saddest season of the year.

It is statistically true and I have seen it in my practice of medicine, that symptoms of depression are highest this time of year.  All our losses and heart aches come to a culmination when we recognize that we can’t have this ideal Christmas.  We somehow think that everyone but us has it all together which couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone has losses no matter who you are.  And everyone can suffer from depression.

Recognition of this fact is very important.  Otherwise we think we are the only ones feeling this way so we hide it.  We think that if somehow we act happy, we will be.  This can only last so long until we crash and burn.  If we are able to see that we are one in many who suffer with depression, then we will be able to ask for help.  No one can help someone if they don’t see that they need it.

When recognition of the problem happens, then help needs to be multi-disciplinary.  Depression is not “fixed” by pulling yourself up by the boot straps or if you have enough faith to pray yourself out of it.  Prayer needs to be a part of the treatment but not the whole of it.  Seek professional counseling in whatever way you feel comfortable.  Find a counselor that you can connect with and tell them about what is happening in your life.  When a burden is shared, it becomes lighter.  The problems are still there but you now have an advocate to help you navigate through them.

Use medication when it is warranted.  There is a biochemical component of depression.  Sometimes even with the best of counseling, medication is needed to balance these biochemicals.  In the depths of depression, a person can barely function.  Medication can help the symptoms of depression resolve more quickly so a person can get back to their normal daily activities. A therapist working together with a physician well versed in the use of antidepressants is a great team of support.  However, it is good to be aware that sometimes medication can make symptoms worse in some individuals.  I always counsel my patients to call me or their therapist right away if they are worsening or feel suicidal.  In this situation, they must stop their medication immediately and be seen in crisis counseling.

Unfortunately, even with the best of treatment and support, there are those people who do go on to commit suicide.  This is devastating to family and friends as well as the therapist and physicians who have tried to help.  There is so much more we have to learn about depression and its treatment.  Reality is that at times we fail to treat it.

Many years ago my cousin, John committed suicide after prolonged treatment for depression.  During his funeral, his pastor described depression in a way I have never forgotten.  He said that depression is like a very thick fog surrounding the person.  They can’t see anyone else through this fog but themselves.  Because they are so alone, they see their situation as hopeless. Suicide then becomes their best option.

Let us reach out to those we see hurting and depressed.  We must give them hope so suicide isn’t their best option out.  If you are that person suffering with depression, tell someone about it so you can get help.  I have had to do this myself during some of the stormy times in my life.  I am thankful for a wonderful therapist and medication to get me through that hard place.  I am on the other side of it due to this and support from my family and the Lord who walked with me through it all.  God has given us the skills and knowledge to help each other through the struggles of mental illness.  Just like any other illness though, we must be willing to ask for help to be healed.