Thinking Back

When I think back over the years of my life, I can see where my parents' prayers and others have wrapped me in God's love and protection. As a young girl, I remember stepping into the street right in front of a car. The driver slammed on the brakes, and the bumper was just inches from me. It scared me! I must have been daydreaming when I stepped into the street.

A friend of mine once told me how wonderful it must be for someone to think of you every day. The family she came from did not practice any faith. She knew my parents prayed for me daily. When I saw her admiration, suddenly I realized I took for granted what she found remarkable. This friend of mine eventually took her own life. When I think of her, it makes me sad to know she felt such despair. Because even though I've had times in my life where I was depressed or working through some trial, I've always felt I had somewhere to turn. Not only to family and friends, but most importantly to God. She has been gone now for almost nineteen years, and I still wish I would have been stronger in my faith. I wish I would've been more knowledgeable about suicide, and I will forever wonder if I could have been a better friend.