Friday, January 5, 2018

Press-ON!

Friday, January 5, 2018
I don’t have any tattoos, but if I was to get one I’d have a semi-colon; this little do-dad resides where a sentence could end, but rather chooses to press-on!  The semi-colon has become a metaphor for choosing life over suicide[2]
In the United States the statistics are staggering:
Suicide is the final scream against the pain of living.  It is the place where one has lost hope…and a period is placed to try to stop the hurting. 
Pain comes in many shapes and sizes, and from many sources and levels; it screams in our ears, assaults our bodies, and often lays waste to our sense of better judgment.
Hope for life is in a semi-colon; it’s a decision to continue the conversation a little longer.  With that said, the next question (and more important one) is:
Where do we find hope?
The Proverb writer shows us life’s source of hope; we can face all the stresses and other challenges of life by focusing on God’s purposes for His created beings. 
Here is a sample of what can be found in the Book:
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.  The rich and poor have this in common:  The Lord made them both.  A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.  The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.  True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.  Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it.  Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.  Proverbs 22:1-6(NLT)
While the suicide rate among young people is alarming, according to AFSP the highest rate is among middle-aged and older Americans, specifically ages 45-54(19.7%), and over 85 (19%)
According to the writer of Proverbs, a wise parent can help place children on the right path of hope; this can have an effect on their mental stability when they are older. 
There are a lot of tattoos making lots of statements in today’s culture; a tiny semi-colon makes a really big statement:  there is HOPE; press on!  You don’t necessarily need a tattoo to do that; just a heart that cares for those losing their focus on hope.

For You Today

Today would be a good day to get involved in passing around the semi-colon of hope.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: source unknown
[2] For more information Google meaning of semi-colon

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