“Being unwanted, unloved,
uncared for, forgotten by everybody,
I think that is a much greater hunger,
a much greater poverty than
the person who has nothing to eat…”
(Mother Teresa)
“You don’t know my past. Let me go! Let me do this!”
A local teenager had enough of this life. He couldn’t stand the pain anymore. He thought his only way out was to jump off a bridge over an interstate to end it all.
God had other plans. Five DOT men were working on the interstate below him. When they saw what he intended to do, some quickly stopped traffic and some caught him. The teen and one man had minor injuries, and the teen was taken to a hospital to get the help he needs.
Thank God for these men who cared. Whose automatic response was to help. One man said the teen kept saying those words.
I’ll never know who this boy is or how he is doing, but he has been heavy on my heart ever since this happened last month. Doesn’t your heart just ache for teenagers who feel so hopeless, alone, and not cared about?
There are so many of them all over the world, many more than we will ever know. A friend once told me that there is an increasing number of teenagers today who call in to Hopeline, because they’re ready to commit suicide. They feel so hopeless, unloved, and worthless. Isn’t that heart-wrenching?
Wherever you are and whatever age you are, please know your life matters to God. Whatever has happened to you or is happening to you, whatever you have done or not done, He cares about you. He feels your pain and His heart breaks for you.
“He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3
Please, Lord!
Draw those who are hurting into Your Hope!
Apply Your healing love to whatever is broken!
Free the captives and give them wings to fly!
How Can You Tell When Someone Is Suicidal?
If you feel hopeless, unloved, and worthless,
please call Hopeline at 1-800-273-8255.
“Need You Now”
by Plumb
“Well, everybody’s got a story to tell
And everybody’s got a wound to be healed
I want to believe there’s beauty here
‘Cause oh, I get so tired of holding on
I can’t let go, I can’t move on
I want to believe there’s meaning here
How many times have you heard me cry out
“God please take this”?
How many times have you given me strength to
Just keep breathing?
Oh I need you
God, I need you now…”
Freed to Fly 
Oh, Trudy, such a sad statistic about today’s teens. Praying right now for this young man, and for all those who feel hopeless and helpless in this life. May they come to know the One who loves them unconditionally!
Blessings!
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Thank you for praying with me, Martha. Yes! May they come to know the One who loves them unconditionally! Blessings to you, too. May we storm the throne of grace for the hopeless and the helpless!
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Dear Trudy,
Thank you for sharing this important post today! There are such hurting hearts all around us, if only we would stay open to God’s heart to show us. My heart is joining with yours to pray for His compassion to reach out and to rescue His broken ones. Blessings and hugs to you Dear Friend!
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Thank you for joining your heart with mine in praying for His compassion to reach out and rescue His broken ones, Bettie. Blessings and hugs to you, too! May our hearts stay open to God’s heart to show us the hurting souls around us!
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Trudy, what a beautiful display of love and caring these men showed! It breaks my heart that so many people, esp. teens feel so hopeless. Thank you for sharing your tips to look out for and help those who are in despair. I love that song by Plumb. I had never heard of her but someone shared that very song recently. I pray that all those who feel so lost and alone would find someone to help and that God would show us who we can help. Blessings to you! xo
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Thank you for joining me in praying for those who feel so lost and alone, Gayle. Yes, those men truly displayed love and caring. They all made a split-second decision. It gives me goosebumps how their automatic response was love. Blessings to you, too! Yes, may all those hurting ones find someone to help and may God show us who we can help!
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Wow! What a beautiful example of loving our neighbor is this! And such a powerful post, dear Trudy! Your heart of compassion shows in every word you write! I thank God for you! Love and huge hugs!! ❤
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Yes, those men truly displayed what loving our neighbor means, Lynn. I thank God for you, too! I also send love and hugs back to you! May we more and more be filled with love for God and compassion for the hurting!
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This is a beautiful post, Trudy! I love the Mother Theresa quote and the song, and especially that those men cared enough to protect the boy and get help for him. I think it’s true that a lot of teenagers struggle with feeling hopeless and it is heartbreaking. It’s so important that we care for those around us and point them to the hope we have in Jesus! Love and hugs to you!
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Thank you, Lesley. Both Mother Theresa’s quote and the song are dear to me, too. And it’s awesome how those men cared. Truly an example for everyone. If I remember correctly, you work a lot with teenagers, don’t you? Or is it more with younger children? Maybe both? Yes, it is so heartbreaking how many struggle with hopelessness. Love and hugs to you, too! May we be like Jesus to those around us and point them to the hope there is in Him!
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Yes, I work with teenagers and younger children too- mainly from about age 9 and up.
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May God give you wisdom and strength, Lesley! ❤️ 🙏🏼 I’m sure it’s challenging, but I believe God has equipped you through your own personal struggles to help the hurting among them.
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Trudy – thank you for sharing your heart. It is devastating how young kids feel so helpless at such a young age. It breaks my heart for them and their families. As much as we have made strides to make depression and mental illness more known, the bottom line is that so many still just want to brush it under the carpet. Blessed you shared this at #TellHisStory.
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It breaks my heart, too, Mary. Yes, there are still far too many people who want to shove depression and mental illness under the rug. Also abuse and bullying. I was happy to hear that in local schools here it is now mandatory for teachers to teach in every grade about harassment so that victims will feel more free to speak up. Yes, we have made strides, but we still have a long way to go, right? May our hearts be filled so full of God’s love that it will automatically spill out onto others!
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Thank you for sharing this story, Trudy. I’m so glad those men were there to help the boy on the bridge, but also saddened to think that someone that young would feel that way about his life. This encourages me to try to make eye contact and smile at the teens I pass every day, just to let them know someone sees them. Hugs, friend.
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Oh Lois, it’s so beautiful that you are encouraged to try to make eye contact and smile at teens you pass. I need to do that more, too. Yes, they so need to know someone sees them. Hugs back to you! May God help us to notice and reach out in love to any teens we come in contact with!
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Trudy,
Praying that young man and many teens would know God’s love and hope so they wouldn’t commit suicide. I shared the Hopeline number on my blog post, the earlier one in which I shared about a young woman who did commit suicide to everyone’s shock and sorrow. Blessings, love, and hugs to you 🙂
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I remember that post, Dolly. It’s so sad, and it must hurt so much. Thank you for praying with me for these hurting souls and for adding the Hopeline to your post. Blessings, love, and hugs to you, too! May God give His love and hope to the many teens and others who feel hopeless!
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