Churches are not the only ones with signs having special messages. Along US 1 in Mims, just north of Titusville, McLeod's Set in Stone sign stated, "The choice to forgive someone is for your benefit, not theirs; it will change you." "Jesus loves you, so smile," was on the opposite side of the sign.
"Faith and fear cannot live together." Cocoa First Assembly of God, US 1, Cocoa, Florida. On the opposite side of the sign they ask and answer a simple question, "Is life empty? Let Christ come in."
A couple of kilometers before I took Route 404 (Pineda Causeway) out to Highway A1A, I stopped at the entrance to the US Today and Florida Today Headquarters. I drank a liter of water to try and cool down. Sweat immediately beaded on my forehead and stung my eyes. It was hot out.
One of the USA Today Headlines today was about California mega church pastor Rick Warren who returned to preaching after a hiatus since the April suicide of his 27-year-old son Matthew. Rick is the author of the bestselling, The Purpose Driven Life. Matthew had been suffering with depression most of his life, something that Rick prayed desperately about.
Rick's sermon included the statement, "God wants to take your greatest sorrow and turn it into your greatest message." Sometimes when we are in the desperation of emotional pain we get so blinded by grief, denial and anger that it is hard to find anything positive. Over time though, you can heal and find those positives that are hidden. Rick's message of healing and hope in the wake of his son's death is a hard earned 'positive' that I'm certain he wishes he never had to find.
I know a lot of Christians who believe that if someone commits suicide, they are "eternally damned" and have given themselves a one way ticket to hell. I refuse to believe this. Jesus loves all of us unconditionally. Suicide is tragic, but does not exclude an individual from the grace, hope and unconditional love of God.
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