The dirty dishes and cleaning can wait, I am going to blog to-day if it is the only thing I do. (Just hoping that some of my tidy friends don't 'pop in' in the meantime!)
If you have checked my website for an entry in the last couple of months - I do apologise for my extended break, but it has been a tough couple of months and blogging just seemed out of my reach!
I always struggle with the logistics of Christmas, let's just say organisation skills have never been my strong point. However throw in a house move and I am well and truly challenged! Yet undoubtedly the most difficult thing for me in the last couple of months has been the suicide of a dear friend.
It has been difficult on so many levels: Primarily I miss her, as we shared a heartfelt resonance with each other and I feel so sad that she felt this was the only course of action left for her. I saw her 2 days before her death and we discussed her struggle and thus I am left with the inevitable question ... "could I have done more?"
However I have been helped by a book called Grieving a Suicide by Al Hsu published by IVP which discusses the various stages survivors of suicide can go through and deals with many questions which may arise in its wake.
So it has been a time where I have had to deal with one thing at a time and allow some things to be set aside.
However if anything loosing my dear friend has not deterred me but merely strengthened my resolve to try to bring God's light into dark places. I know that despair is a formidable enemy but I believe it is possible to escape it's grip, however it does need to be taken seriously so if you or someone you know are feeling suicidal then please DO tell someone and seek immediate medical help.
Finally I believe there are more things that we can do as a Christian community to help those facing despair's allure so keep an eye on this page and I will tell you about those very soon!
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