Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:10] Hello, and welcome to second row Conversation. I'm Letitia, also known as Lady P. And I am so excited to be with you today. I told you last week that I was going to be back. It wasn't going to be that long again. And so I'm excited to be joining you on today. So today is September 30th. By the time you see this, it will already be October. But I'm recording this on September 30th. And September is Suicide Awareness Prevention Month. And I wanted to do a special episode at the end of the month to talk about suicide prevention. And I wanted to remind you of a powerful truth.
[00:00:53] Today we're going to talk about suicide prevention. What that means, what that looks like.
[00:00:58] It is a topic that a lot of people don't like to talk about, but it is a necessary topic. It is a topic that affects a lot of people. It affects our community, young and old, black and white. It doesn't. There is no specific demographic that it doesn't affect. And so I wanted us to talk about that today.
[00:01:19] Um, there isn't. It affects the church, the believer, the non believer. It affects everyone. And so I wanted us to talk about that today.
[00:01:28] Um, and I wanted to remind you that your life matters, that your story is not over. So we gonna.
[00:01:34] I wanted to remind you that at the beginning and we'll talk about that again at the end. Um, we're gonna explore some scriptures that speak to God's care for the brokenhearted, his plans for our future, and. And practical ways we can find hope in dark times. Last week we talked about God cares for us, and this week we're going to talk about finding hope in dark times. So whether you're struggling yourself or walking alongside someone who is, I pray this conversation encourages you and reminds you that you are not alone. Okay? I hope that you understand that you are not alone. So whether it helps you or someone that you love, remember that you are not alone. Okay?
[00:02:17] So breaking the silence.
[00:02:20] There's a lot of stigma that is surrounded around suicide.
[00:02:25] And again, like I said earlier, it is a topic that a lot of people don't want to talk about.
[00:02:32] You say suicide, and usually there is some uneasiness or people just kind of get quiet.
[00:02:38] It's like you see people's faces like a deer in headlights. But we wanted to bring awareness. I wanted to bring awareness to the topic because it is affecting so many people.
[00:02:50] I do have some statistics, and I wanted to bring that to your attention.
[00:02:58] Suicide is a leading cause of death, and it affects People of all ages. Suicide is a serious public health problem and it has far reaching impact.
[00:03:10] So it is one of the leading causes of death. And like I said, it affects people of all ages. There is no specific age. I remember at one time you was here, people say, oh no, that's. You don't hear about children or you don't hear about young people committing suicide. But that's not the case anymore. It affects everyone. And so we want to break the stigma. We want to let people understand that you can indeed talk about it. Um, and that if you are in a space where you are feeling anxious or depressed or sad or feeling like you have some hopelessness, that there is help and that there is resources available to help you through those times.
[00:03:52] There's also, I think, emphasis or there are some people that believe that those who love Christ and those who believe, um, don't face depression and don't have suicidal thoughts. And that is absolutely not the case. Um, it does.
[00:04:09] Believers can indeed have depression and they can have suicidal thoughts. And that doesn't mean that you do not have faith. That's not what that means. And we're going to talk about some people in the Bible that dealt with depression and that dealt with suicidal thoughts, believe it or not. So I want you to understand that even if you're one that has faith, that one that believes, right, you can indeed be in a space where you are having a hard time.
[00:04:39] But understand and you can be in a place where you are having some suicidal thoughts. But understand that you are not alone, that you can work through that, that God is right there with you and he does care. Remember that he does indeed care for you.
[00:04:52] Psalm 34 and 18 reads, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. So even the Lord understands that there are times that we will indeed be brokenhearted. But he is close to those that are brokenhearted and he saves those that are crushed in spirit. So there are times that we, our spirit will be crushed and we have. Our hearts will be broken, broken by many different things, by people, by situations. Our hearts will be broken. But he, the Lord is close to those who are broken. He doesn't leave us. He doesn't forsake us. He doesn't leave us by ourselves. He's right there with us. So we have to remember that. Psalm 34 and 18. He's close to the brokenhearted. So reflection. Take a moment. I want you to take a moment.
[00:05:43] I want you to breathe. And I want you to acknowledge that God sees your pain, and. And he is present with you. So take a moment, close your eyes for a second, and acknowledge that God sees your pain and that he is present with you even if you don't have any pain right now, even if you're not feeling any pain. And I'm not just talking physical pain, I'm talking anything spiritually or emotionally. But if you are feeling anything spiritually, emotionally, physically, close your eyes, take a moment to breathe. Breathe in and breathe out.
[00:06:16] Breathe in, breathe out.
[00:06:22] And know that God is present with you.
[00:06:24] He's close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. Okay.
[00:06:32] All right. So let's talk about some biblical examples of those who struggled. Let's talk about a few. Okay.
[00:06:40] Elijah.
[00:06:42] First Kings Elijah. I'm sorry, First Kings 19 and 4. First Kings 19 and 4.
[00:06:50] And I have that up. First Kings 19 and 4. And it reads 19 and 4. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree and requested for himself that he might die and said, it is enough now, O Jehovah, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers. Now that's a scripture that not many people talk about, right? We don't talk about that scripture.
[00:07:23] So just a little background information about that.
[00:07:28] After a great victory, Elijah had just faced off against the prophets of BAAL and, and one demonstrating God's power. So he had told the prophets of BAAL they had a face off.
[00:07:41] You say your. Your God is better than my God. BAAL is better than my God. This, let's show. I'm going show you. So they had a face off. You can go and read about that.
[00:07:50] And Elijah won.
[00:07:54] And so after they went through that, he was threatened by Jezebel. So Queen Jezebel, he was enraged by the killing of the prophets and vowed to kill Elijah, causing him to flee for his life. So after he won against the prophets of BAAL and all of those prophets died, Jezebel was mad. She was angry. And so she said, I got to get Elijah. And so Elijah ran for his life. And so in his running for his life, he was afraid, he feared for his life. He was deeply discouraged. And Elijah ran into the desert and fell into a profound state of exhaustion and, and despair. While he was down in despair, he went under the juniper tree and prayed to God and said, it is enough now, oh Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors. What is that? What does that sound like? That sounds like he's done he was done. That sounds like suicide. He was suicidal. And so he was overcome by exhaustion. He laid down and fell asleep because he was done.
[00:09:02] But then God responded. He sent an angel who intervened, and the angel touched him and commanded him to get up and eat. Elijah found a cake and a jar of water, and he ate and drank. He was strengthened for the journey.
[00:09:16] The angel returned a second time, providing more food and telling Elijah that the journey ahead was too great for him to travel without it. And he journeyed. He was strengthened by the food. Elijah was able to walk for 40 days and 40 nights to the mountain of God. Okay, and so, yeah, I did a little research. I didn't come all that up, did all that by myself, but I had to do a little research. So even after Elijah represented God well and went against the prophets of baal and he even went through. He went through a period of depression and felt like, you know what? I can't do this anymore. I'm just gonna go into this tree and I just want to die.
[00:09:58] But God knew that there was a plan, there was something bigger for him to do. And so he sent the angel to give him what he needed to be strengthened for the journey. Right? And so he prayed to die. But God met him with rest, food, and encouragement. And so even that goes back to the first scripture. He is close to the brokenhearted and. And saves those who are crushed in spirit. He gave them what he needed in order to continue on to the journey. Because there was a bigger purpose for Elijah and there's a bigger purpose for you. Your story is not over.
[00:10:33] All right, David. We know David was a man of the God's own heart, and he did amazing things. But David was also went through a period of being depressed, and he was often stressed and anxious and depressed. A different. A few different psalms that showed that he was down and depressed. Psalm 6. His soul was greatly troubled, and he. His eyes waste away with grief, and he is weary from weeping. Psalm 13.
[00:11:07] David questioned God's prolonged absence. He was feeling forgotten and sorrowful.
[00:11:13] Uh, Psalm 22. David expressed anguish and a sense of abandonment by God, especially after the. After a defeat, he was feeling surrounded and crushed by enemies. Um. Psalm 31. This psalm begins with the plea of God's grace due to distress, as David's soul and body are spent with grief.
[00:11:34] The Psalm 42 he this song reflects David's feeling of homesickness and the enemy's taunts, making him feel like God had forgotten him. And then Psalm 140. David cried out to God In a time of trouble, feeling slandered and persecuted by his enemies. Wow. So that was. This is another example of another person in the Bible that was feeling down and was going through trouble, was struggling, was really struggling. Even a man after God's own heart, he was going through a time of struggle, in a time of being. In a time of despair and broken heart. Broken heartedness.
[00:12:14] Brokenhearted, sorry, being broken hearted. So those are just some of the psalms where David showed that he was going through. He was expressing despair, but yet even through all of that, he found God's comfort. And then we talked a little bit about Job last week, when Job went through all that he went through, right? Joe went through everything that he went through. He was down, he was depressed, he ripped his clothes. He, he.
[00:12:41] He had the stone and he was, he had the sores on his body and he was cutting the sores on. He just went through a lot. So just understand that even through, even in 2025, you are not alone. There are people in the Bible that struggled, people that were after God's own heart, people that were perfect. And I put in quotation mark, because they weren't perfect, but they were perfect in God's sight. They were living a life of God, but they were still struggling.
[00:13:13] And so, yeah, that's.
[00:13:16] So who are we? Right? We are no better than them. No better than them. So, yes, there are going to be times where we do indeed struggle. So just a reflection, notice how even faithful servants wrestled with despair.
[00:13:28] How does this help you feel understood in your own struggles?
[00:13:32] How does this make you feel? How does it help you understood in your own struggles? We struggle too.
[00:13:38] They were faithful and they struggle. So, yes, understand that we too will indeed struggle. Okay? But know that even in our struggle, there's hope in scripture. There's indeed hope in Scripture. Psalm 139, verses 13 through 14 says, for you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
[00:14:06] This scripture keeps coming up. We talked about it last week. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future. Isaiah 41:10 says, do not fear, for I am with you. I will strengthen you and. And help you. So those are some scriptures that will give you hope even as you go through your struggles, even as you go through your dark times.
[00:14:29] So I'm going to give them to you again so that you can write them down in your journal. Psalm 139:13 14, Jeremiah 29, 11, and Isaiah 41 and 10.
[00:14:39] Just a reflection, prompt. Consider which of these verses brings you to the most comfort today.
[00:14:45] Repeat it aloud or write it down.
[00:14:48] Psalm 139, 13:14, Jeremiah 29, 11, Isaiah 41 and 10.
[00:14:58] Okay, so just some practical ways to respond.
[00:15:02] First, I want you to understand that if you are struggling, I want you to find someone to talk to. Know that on your phone you can call, you can dial 9, 8, 8 if you are feeling suicidal. Have some suicidal ideations down 9, 8, 8. And that'll get you directly to someone that you can talk to.
[00:15:20] Find someone you trust. Talk to them. Pray honestly. Seek professional help. Talk to a pastor, talk to a counselor, talk to a friend. Someone that you trust. And you can just be real, be honest, Be authentic with them. Hey, I'm struggling. I'm not in a good space right now. I really need you to. I need to talk to you. I need you to pray with me because I'm not in a good space. Me. Let them know that I just need someone to help me through this. And if someone reaches out to you, I need you to understand the importance of you being there for them. Listen without judgment. We listen and we don't judge. Right? And you don't need to judge. Listen without judgment. Offer presence. Sometimes you just need to listen. You don't have to give them an answer. You. You don't need to, like, you know, but you need to do this and you need to do that. And. And if I was you, I would. They don't need that. Sometimes they just need a listening ear. Okay? So just be present. You know, I. I tell students, I tell my friends, if you just need me to be there while you scream, while you cry, if you just need to put your head on my shoulder, I am there. Offer presence. Remind them that they are not alone. Okay? Sometimes people just need to know that they. That someone cares.
[00:16:34] They just need a hug. They just need an ear. They just need to know someone is sitting next to them. Hold their hand, put your arm around them. They just need someone there with them. Okay?
[00:16:45] Galatians 6 and 2 says, carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. So be there with them.
[00:16:54] Isolation is a way the enemy uses and to. To make people feel that they're by themselves. And once they're. A person feels isolated. That's when he starts talking to them and speaking in their head and getting in the head and say, see, no one cares about you. No one no one cares. They don't care. You by yourself.
[00:17:15] See, if they care, they will reach out to you. They will text you.
[00:17:20] You. You're going through this by yourself. No, no, that's not true. Um, one of the elders ministers that we fellowship with, when she prays, one of the things she always says, and I just love it, is silence the voice of the enemy, because he is always talking. And so she always prays to silence the voice of the enemy.
[00:17:44] And so that helps me a lot. So this. It's important that if you are struggling, you reach out to someone and. And if someone reaches out to you, then you understand that. You don't judge. You listen, you be there, be a presence and remind that person that they are not alone.
[00:18:04] So who can you reach out to this week for support? And how can you show support for someone else?
[00:18:10] Who can you reach out to for support this week? We always need support. Okay.
[00:18:16] You don't always have to be the strong person. You don't always have to be the strong friend, right? Especially women. We always got to think we got to be the strong person. You don't always have to be the strong friend.
[00:18:26] You can be the one to reach out and ask for help. You can ask for help.
[00:18:31] It's okay. Doesn't mean that you are less than of a woman, less than of a friend.
[00:18:37] Ask for help. The strong people ask for help. And I'm talking to myself. Yes, I am.
[00:18:43] So ask for help. And how can you show support to someone else?
[00:18:49] Slow down. If someone is reaching out, pay attention.
[00:18:54] Pay attention.
[00:18:56] If you see someone is like really reaching out, texting you, or slow down and say how you doing? And if. And if you ask someone how they're doing, really pay attention.
[00:19:07] Because sometimes we just say, how you doing? And don't really want to know, but. But really listen and ask how they're doing. Okay?
[00:19:17] Okay. So I got a few reflection questions for you. So get. I hope you still have your journal. And I want you to write these down so that you can answer them either now or later on.
[00:19:29] So.
[00:19:30] And we kind of talked a little bit about this question earlier.
[00:19:34] Excuse me. When life feels overwhelming, what scripture reminds you that God cares for you?
[00:19:39] When life feels overwhelming, what scripture reminds you that God cares for you?
[00:19:46] We talked a little bit about that one last week. Cash your cares the Lord because he cares for you.
[00:19:53] How can you be honest with God about your struggles, following the example of David, Job, or Elijah?
[00:20:01] How can you be honest with God about your struggles, following the example of David, Job, or Elijah, just be honest. Tell them. Talk to them.
[00:20:11] Who in your life can you reach out to when you need support? So who can you call? Who can you reach out to? Is it a friend? Is it a parent? Is it a sibling?
[00:20:22] Who. Who can you reach out to?
[00:20:25] Is it a cousin? I have my sister. Cousins. Like, who is it that you can reach out when you need support?
[00:20:32] How can you be a safe space for someone who might be hurting? That's important. Be a safe space, a judge free.
[00:20:39] Safe space for someone who might be hurting.
[00:20:44] What steps can you take this week to remind yourself that your life has purpose and value? I'm going to ask you again. What steps can you take this week to remind yourself that your life has purpose and value?
[00:20:59] What steps can you take? Because every life, your life has purpose and your life has value.
[00:21:05] So what steps can you take this week? This week to remind yourself?
[00:21:09] Okay.
[00:21:16] All right. So I want you to remember as we close out, I want you to remember that no matter how dark things may feel, God is near to the brokenhearted and your life has purpose.
[00:21:31] Okay?
[00:21:33] You are here for a reason. Even if life feels heavy right now, even if the darkness seems louder than the light, your presence in this world still matters. Your story is not finished. You are still writing it. With every breath, every choice, every. Every moment you push through, pain can convince you that this is the end. But it isn't.
[00:21:55] Seasons change, chapters, turns, healing can come come in ways you haven't seen yet.
[00:22:02] The moments ahead of you, the laughter, the love, the breakthroughs, the quiet victories are still waiting.
[00:22:09] Someone you haven't met yet needs your light. I'm going to say that again because I tell my kids this all the time. Someone you haven't yet. Haven't met yet. Someone you haven't met yet needs your light.
[00:22:23] Someone's world will be better because you're still in it.
[00:22:28] Stay.
[00:22:30] Breathe.
[00:22:31] Give tomorrow a chance. Your story is still unfolding and it is worth telling.
[00:22:39] So if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out. You can call or text 988 to connect with the suicide and crisis lifeline. Again, call or text 988 to connect with someone.
[00:22:55] Talk with a trusted friend, a counselor, a pastor.
[00:22:59] You can reach out to me, send me a message, talk to someone. If you are struggling, you need to see someone immediately. 988, you can go to the ER, you can reach out to someone. Someone is always available to help you with that. But I just want you to remember that someone you haven't met yet needs your light. Someone's will will be better because you're in it. Stay, breathe. Give tomorrow a chance. Your story is still unfolding and it is worth telling.
[00:23:32] I thank you for joining me on the second row. Um, you can join me on any of the platforms, wherever you get your podcast. Um, suicide is a very uneasy topic to talk about, but if we work together, um, we continue to be there for one, you know each other, one another. Um, it is something that we can work together and work beyond. And so if you are someone you know is struggling, please reach out. You don't have to suffer alone. Someone is here. Someone is always available to. To help you through it.
[00:24:06] And I thank you for joining me. I hope that this helps. I pray that this helps. And just remember, no matter where you are, no matter what you're going through, someone is here to help you through it. And just know we love you, accept it, embrace it, and flourish in it. And I will see you the next time. Take care.
