Hold Onto Possibility Everyday

SUICIDE PREVENTION

Hold Onto Possibility Everyday

Are you thinking about ending your life? Reach out for support.

Are you concerned about a friend or loved one ending his or her life? Ask. Listen. Love. Pray

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Suicide Facts • Hold Onto Possibility Everyday

Asking a loved one, “Are you thinking of ending your life?” makes a difference.

From 2007 to 2017 suicide increased 56% for people aged 10-24.

Ask. Listen. Love. Pray.

About Suicide & Depression

Every 40 seconds one person in the world ends his or her life. This is more than 800,000 precious people every year.

In the US, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death. Depression is the primary reason for suicide, accounting for one death approximately every 12 minutes.

While the loss of every single life is heartbreaking, it’s shocking to realize that from 2007 to 2017 suicide rates increased 56% for people aged 10-24.

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REQUEST your hope-filled resources.
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Hold Onto Possibility Everyday • Reach Out For Support

Reach Out For Support

UNITED STATES

988 Lifeline
988 or 1-800-273-8255

CANADA

988.ca
1-833-456-4566

UNITED KINGDOM

samaritans.org
116 123

ASSISTline
0800 689 5652

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HELP ME

Living with chronic illness, mental illness, chronic pain, or disability can sometimes lead us to consider suicide because we so desperately want the pain to end. Yet even in our darkest moments, God promises that there is hope.

At Chronic Joy, HOPE is an acronym for Hold Onto Possibility Everyday. You might think we’ve misspelled everyday, and you’d be correct. Still, we intentionally linked those two words, with no space between them, because when we Hold Onto Possibility Everyday, we leave no space for darkness, no foothold for the devil, and no opportunity for dark thoughts to pierce our hearts. Connected, the word everyday, is like a strong gate; it invites us to rest in God’s protection and be a little curious.

Curiosity shifts our perspective, inviting us into the everyday possibilities of wonder and even joy. It calls us to bravely step back from our pain and ask ourselves questions like:

  • What am I feeling right now?
  • How can I best describe what I’m feeling?
  • Am I afraid of how I feel?
  • What is the pain trying to tell me?
  • What might happen if I surrendered my pain to God?
  • Am I willing to see things differently?

Curiosity:

  • calms the nervous system.
  • triggers feel-good hormones.
  • can expand our empathy.
  • improves memory.
  • encourages creativity.
  • is often a language of love / deepens relationships.
  • fosters resilience
  • enhances the quality of our lives.

PRACTICE CURIOSITY

No matter how you’re feeling today, set a timer for two minutes, and step outside. Be curious, engage your senses, and pray, “Show me what you want me to notice, Lord. Amen.”

WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND THE WORDS

If you need help today, reach out. When you can’t find the words, simply copy the text beneath one of the images below, paste it, and hit ‘send.”

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I’ve LOST SOMEONE

The death of a loved one is difficult, but when one chooses to end his or her life, it’s shocking—and the shock and pain return again and again, and we can find ourselves in a circle of chronic grief—anger, depression, numbness, anxiety, fear, and shame. We wonder how we missed the signs and why we couldn’t be enough to keep our loved ones safe. Honestly, we are never the same. If you are in the midst of grief, click here for free resources.

Jesus, my heart is broken. I’m deeply wounded and the hole that [name] left is gaping. Some days, I just can’t breathe. Help me to live with grief until the wild grief I feel turns into the love I remember sharing. I need You so desperately, Lord. In Your safe Name, amen.

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HELP SOMEONE: ASK. LISTEN. LOVE. PRAY.

SHOW UP AND KEEP WATCH

The most important thing we can do for a friend or loved one who is struggling with suicidal thoughts is to show up and keep watch.

 In Matthew 26:38, Jesus tells His disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with grief, to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” But we know what happens: The disciples don’t keep watch; they fall asleep. Their inaction is not so different from our own sometimes. We may think, “I have no idea what to say or do. What if I say the wrong thing? Can I make it worse?” Being face-to-face with a loved one’s deepest pain can be emotionally paralyzing. But there are specific ways we can help.

TALK OPENLY ABOUT SUICIDE

When we ask a loved one if they are thinking about suicide, we open the door to hope. It might be uncomfortable, but if we continue to listen, asking questions with brave curiosity—questions that seek to understand, not to reframe or shift perspective, but to learn more. When a loved one is willing to talk about their pain, there is hope and a fragile will to live, even if they can’t see it yet.

We are called to love one another deeply from the heart. (1 Peter 1:22)

TOOLS FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION

1.  ASK

Is someone you love thinking of ending his/her life? It can be a tough question to ask, but asking a loved one if he or she is suicidal can prevent the loss of a precious life.

2.  KEEP THEM SAFE

An essential part of suicide prevention is removing access to items that someone may use to end a life. Ask your loved one if they have a plan to end their life. Start the conversation. Listen. Ask. Love.

3.  BE THERE

Listen, lean in, and learn what your loved one is feeling and thinking. Acknowledging and talking about suicide may help reduce suicidal thoughts.

4.  REACH OUT FOR SUPPORT

Search for hotlines, chat options, and websites. Save these for easy access. Help your loved one make a plan to connect with trusted family members, friends, pastors, and mental health professionals.

5. PRAY

Offer to pray with your loved one and continue to pray for him/her.

6.  FOLLOW-UP

It makes a difference if you contact your loved one after a crisis just to check-in. Studies have shown that the risk of suicide decreases when we extend care and concern.

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY

If you don’t know what to say, begin with the text beneath one of the images below, make it your own, and reach out to someone struggling. For even more ideas, check out #ConnectByText.

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PRACTICAL TOOLS

FREE PRINTABLES

Prayers of Hope & Encouragement

Sinking under the weight of pain is not a sin and it does not exclude us from God’s love and protection. Instead, God invites us to come to Him, to rest in His Presence, and to trust in His strength when we are weak.

Suicide Prevention Safety Plan

God is not ashamed of you. He created you and He loves you beyond comprehension. Your death would have a greater impact than you could possibly imagine. So build your Suicide Prevention Plan today, and keep it handy. This world needs you!

Verses of Hope for Dark Days

Darkness is disorienting. We grow fearful of what we cannot see. We feel unsettled and unsafe, unable to find our way out. Hurt and hopelessness obstruct the light. But God can eradicate darkness. Helping others is God’s invitation to step forward into His light.

What If These 12 Seconds Are All We've Got?

Sometimes, no matter how often we read the Word or pray, the darkness of illness and pain is all we can see. Yet even in our darkest moments, there is hope, for God is with us every step of the way.

16 Verses to Ignite Hope

In the middle of prolonged illness it can seem like God doesn't see you. Weakness and stress can make it difficult to hold onto hope. God's strength never falters. Allow these scriptures to sink deep into your heart, igniting hope as He carries you.

Stewardship of Courage

Stewardship of Courage

The stewardship of courage begins with a deep faith in God, accessed by prayer, and lived out in patient waiting and hopeful trust.

You Are So Loved

Do you love yourself like God loves you? Do you live like you’re valuable? Do you live like you’re set free?

Called to Hope

Called to Hope

Biblical hope is a settled, determined, and enduring confidence in who Jesus is and what He has promised. Our hope is in Christ alone. The mystery is Christ in us, the hope of glory.

15 Practical Tips • Trauma Soul Care

These 15 practical tips can help us develop healthier ways to navigate everyday life.

My Complicated Glasses • A Prayer

Rest. I want to rest for just a moment, but my mind can’t stop. What is this quiet place where You have invited me? It isn’t the absence of sound and activity but an awareness of the small. Lord, You are here in this moment, in this space – sacred yet simple.

Where do I discover hope?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need encouragement, these verses will give you courage and confidence. Why not meditate on them throughout your day and share them with your friends?

Finding Hope in A Wishful World

It’s a difficult time for humanity. Recent events have made the world desperate for security, looking for hope in all kinds of places when it can only be found in Christ.

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Suicide Prevention Posts

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BOOKS WE LOVE

Discovering Hope

DISCOVERING HOPE: Beginning the Journey Toward Hope in Chronic Illness

Cindee Snider Re

This 10-chapter study invites participants to experience radical hope and compassionate change in a life with chronic illness.

No matter how dark the days, how wild the storm, how deep the valley, or how long the winter, there is hope.

There is always hope.

LEARN MORE

Buy from Amazon

Finding Purpose

FINDING PURPOSE: Rediscovering Meaning in a Life with Chronic Illness

Cindee Snider Re

What if purpose looks different than we believe?

In this 10-chapter study, author Cindee Snider Re invites participants to release cultural and traditional definitions of purpose and, instead, embrace God's timeless definition rooted in His Word and as refreshing as a gentle spring rain.

LEARN MORE

Buy from Amazon

A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss

Grief's Compass: Walking the Wilderness with Emily Dickinson

Patricia McKernon Runkle

“The Wilderness is new–to you. Master, let me lead you.”  Emily Dickinson wrote these words to her mentor shortly after his wife died. In “Grief’s Compass,” Patricia McKernon Runkle takes Dickinson as her guide after the devastating loss of her brother. As she charts a path through the holy madness of grief and the grace of healing, she finds points on a compass and lines from Dickinson that illuminate them.

Buy from Amazon

The Wonderful Land of Affliction: Exploring Adversity Through Allegory

THE WONDERFUL LAND OF AFFLICTION: Exploring Adversity through Allegory

Barbara Coleman

Have you ever met a suffering person who was still smiling? Do you understand why distress and anguish crush some folks and not others? Come and meet the pilgrims in this Land of Affliction who have learned the eternal key to being joyful, hopeful, and patient through peril.

LEARN MORE

Buy from Amazon

The Amazon buttons are affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, Chronic Joy will receive an affiliate commission.

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