Heaven is Cheering You On

Today’s post is taken mostly from my other blog awaiting rainbows . I shared some of these thoughts about a year and a half ago. My husband’s cousin had recently taken his life. It was tragic. It is always tragic.

My community recently had a HOPE walk to support talking more openly about suicide. This topic is tender to me as mental illness runs so strongly in my family, and I know many who have struggled with thoughts of suicide. My daughter was able to participate in that walk and it was so amazing to her how many people were able to support greater awareness.

So how can we battle those these feelings that life is not worth living?  Those thoughts that we have messed up so badly that we see no way out.  That life is so incredibly lonely. That everyone will be better off without us. That all hope is lost. How do we battle this?

We have to get help from heaven.  Elder Jeffery R. Holland gave an amazing talk a few years ago entitled Tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.  I think it is significant that he uses the word “tomorrow“. 

Of course He is doing wonders today as well, but we need to have that great HOPE inside of us that TOMORROW there will be wonders in our life.  TOMORROW there will be good.  TOMORROW there will be people who love us, pray for us, reach out to us.  And TOMORROW, just as today, Heaven will be cheering us on.

Our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, are our best heavenly cheerleaders.  But sometimes, we are so sorrowful we can’t feel it.  How can we get to a point where we can feel their love?

We need to cry out, pray, plead to the only one who can help us.  Jesus Christ came to Earth and suffered every possible thing we can face or feel.  He knows how to help us.  In Alma 7:11-13, Alma tells us about how Jesus Christ can help us:

“And he(Jesus Christ) shall go forth, suffering pains and affliction and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filed with mercy according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.”

I know that when I have been in the depths of sorrow after losing yet another pregnancy, and wondering why on earth I needed to endure losing another one, it was because I prayed and turned to the only one who could understand me that I received consistent strength to get me through each day of sorrow until I could see the light and joy again.

I pray that if you are in the depths of sorrow right now, that you listen to Elder Holland’s words:

I know his words are true because I have experienced it. 

When life is hard, keep trying.  Read from the scriptures, especially the Book Of Mormon.  Talk to someone about how you are feeling.  The church I belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has put out the most touching video called Choose to Stay on dealing with feelings of suicide.  The more we talk about this and reach out, the more we can help.

I pray today you will feel loved, cared for, looked after, uplifted, and blessed with the strength you need to make it to tomorrow. 

And if you can’t feel it, please talk to someone.

Today there is a reason to have a jubilant hope.

PS If you need help and don’t know where to reach out, there are some great helps on this website by the church I belong to.

And here are some numbers to call or text: