![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/jim-howard-300x300.jpeg\")
We\u2019ve all lost someone to suicide. We remember the initial feelings of shock and doubt. I\u2019ve written an entire blog dedicated to this subject alone, so I won\u2019t rehash it all. But the key to this problem is isolation. If the enemy can get us isolated, he can convince us of the lies that we\u2019re not needed anymore. But the newest crisis is just that, a crisis. Ministers committing suicide. The latest victim was this week, Pastor Jim Howard of Real Life Church took his own life. While I have no idea what his life was like, the first thing I thought was all the \u201cchurch faces\u201d we put on when we walk in. I thought about all the facades that we continue to project so that we\u2019re not embarrassed by our reality. Former pastor Steve Austin<\/a>\u00a0once wrote, \u201cI\u2019m a pastor, but my faith didn\u2019t stop me from attempting suicide\u2026 In the past 4 years, the power of vulnerability, courage and grace have made my life better. Transformation has come from connecting with other people THROUGH our brokenness, not in SPITE of it.\u201d It\u2019s this lack of vulnerability and willingness to just be who we are and not be above help, that\u2019s killing ministers and Christians everywhere. In case you haven\u2019t figured it out, there\u2019s only been one perfect dude\u2026 and you\u2019re not Him. So embrace your humanity and be vulnerable. We were created to be co-dependent. That was God\u2019s design.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/james-ingram-300x300.jpeg\")
We\u2019ve all lost someone to cancer. We know who they were before they found out. We know who they were after. We know what it was like watching them suffer. We know how strong they were through the entire process. Most of us also remember the feeling of how unfair this was to take someone like them. Inevitably, it\u2019s accomplished one of two responses to faith. Either a stronger belief in the Creator, knowing that He is still in control and will make someone better because of this\u2026OR someone who questions or even loses faith in anything that would \u201clet this happen\u201d. This week the music industry lost a legend. One of the greatest voices off all time, James Ingram, to cancer. I\u2019ve lost quite a few friends to this. But one friend was quoted as saying, \u201cwhy not me? If it causes people to come together in love and be closer to God, then why not me!?\u201d That may be the most selfless thing I\u2019ve ever heard someone say. Basically, he\u2019ll die so we can be closer to God. Well, it worked. A large church filled up quickly to celebrate his life and before you knew it, men and women of all ages, races and cultural backgrounds were worshiping One God, with One Voice. It was amazing. For me, it changed the way I viewed friendships. He and I had grown close. Just being friends with him taught me how to be a better friend. So while I\u2019ll never understand why God decided to welcome this incredible human being to heaven instead of someone like me, what I will understand is the unmatched power that God displays in times like these. But I’ll still simply never understand pure hate.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tidbitsofaudacity.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/jussie-300x169.jpeg\")
There was a report that Jussie Smollett was allegedly brutally attacked for no other reason than his skin color and his choice in lifestyle. Again, I don\u2019t know him, but no one deserves that. While we now know that this was a completely fabricated story, it’s still happening in our country. You may say, \u201cbut we all have rights and they infringed on his rights\u2026they should pay!\u201d And you would be correct. But someone’s rights doesn’t stop them from an attack. The attackers\u2019 lack of virtue makes it possible. We can put as many laws in place that we want, and some are useful. But until we begin to change hearts, we will stay on this decline. That means when someone worships a different God than you, when someone chooses a different sexual lifestyle than you do, when someone gets piercings and tattoos where you never would, that you LOVE them right where they are. \u00a0You simply refuse to hate. You refuse to neglect. You refuse to make them feel bad for choices they made simply because you wouldn\u2019t have made the same choices. That doesn\u2019t make your choices right or better. It just makes them different. And even if someone is making bad choices, no one ever changed their mind as a result of fear, anger and judgment. Every person I know that changed their minds on bad choices, changed because someone loved them anyway. Every. Single. Time.<\/p>\n