Yeah

Recently I preached a sermon during which I touched on the project called "It Gets Better" .  This project is targeted at bullying in schools, specifically bullying of those who are gay or perceived to be gay.  The reason for this project...in the past few weeks there have been at least 7 reported suicides by youth who are between the ages of 12 and 16, who were bullied based on their sexuality.  

So, the "It Gets Better" project invites adults to minister to youth - to tell them that they are not alone, that this is not the end of the world, that there are people out there who will wrestle with them.  That there are blessings that come out of struggles - that things will indeed 'get better'.

As a mom of three boys ages 8-13, I am sensitive to 'sex talk' and 'suicide talk' and 'not wanting to scare them talk,' but I am also keenly aware of the fact that they live and breathe and play in the very same world that these youth did.

So, as we climbed into the van that day, after I had preached that sermon, I said, "So...does anyone have any questions about my sermon today."

silence.

Then...

"It was weird."
"Yeah.  Weird."
"I don't believe it.  That a kid would kill himself."
"I do."

Me again, "I thought I needed to say something, guys.  It's important that the church talk about things that really happen and where God is in those cruddy times."

"Yeah."
"Yeah.  I agree."
"Yeah, you think those kids knew that God was with them?"
"Yeah."

Me again, "Yeah.  I think they did.  Jesus knows a lot about feeling alone and the end of the world."

"Yeah."

Sigh.