I’ve had to do some serious thinking lately. I’ve been thinking about sin, bearing burdens, consequences, and death. (I know, a real pick-me-up here) Let me share some stories with you.
Story 1
One of our summer staff is going through a tough time. She was always very close to her cousin and they had many childhood memories together. Her cousin knew all about the gospel in her head but it never made it to her heart. She began to have mental problems which caused terrible physical pain for her. The problems were imaginary but the pain was real. She was suffering greatly so she decided to take her own life. My friend was heartbroken as she traveled from another state for the funeral. She has ended up staying here for a couple of weeks while her mom ministered to her family.
Story 2
During the time she is here, we had a mini summer camp weekend at the farm. A lot of our summer staff came and that brought in one very loved individual. This particular young man is about to begin his 4th year on summer staff so you can imagine the connection we have there. The camp started on Friday night and lasting till Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning, this man’s grandparents showed up at the farm with some terrible news. His 16-year-old sister had committed suicide the night before. (No, not related to Story 1) He of course, left camp and rushed home to be with his family. What I found out later was that on Friday, before he came, he had found his sister hanging from a tree and had cut her down and saved her then. She had recently began to suffer from emotional and mental problems. She felt alone in the world and so she didn’t want to be here anymore. Me and about 24 other staff members attended her funeral today.
Story 3
On Monday, one of our full-time staff went to the doctor because he wasn’t feeling well and found out that he has cancer. They don’t think it is very critical and he will be having surgery tomorrow to remove it. He is 23 years old.
Dear friends, please be praying for these three situations. It feels like our staff are being hit all at once. We are standing strong in the faith but these are heartbreaking situations that the Lord has given us at this time. The grief we have felt for these people is amazing considering none of us personally knew the ones who passed. The Bible talks about bearing each other’s burdens and weeping with those who weep. We have certainly been doing so. Please keep the families of the first two stories in your prayers and pray that the surgery goes well tomorrow. Thank you
Scribblings of a Sojourner 