by Luke Kincaid
Last night Cammie and I watched a documentary on one of the first successful game streamers who went by the name of Reckful. It was one of those documentaries that made you feel as if you knew the person by the end of it. Byron “Reckful” Bernstein sadly took his own life on 2 July at the age of 31 after struggling with depression for a large portion of his life as a result of the tragic suicide of his older brother when Byron was very young.
One of the saddest parts of this happening is that he seemed to be doing so much better in recent months and this honestly seemed to come as a shock to those closest to him. The reason I wanted to share this with you is that just because people seem to be doing alright on the outside it doesn’t always mean they are. I sometimes go through down patches in life and there are days when it is easier to say things are okay even when they are not. The problem with this is that it is only detrimental to try and go through difficult times by yourself.
It’s essential to share our burdens with those closest to us. We all need a friend to talk to and if you find yourself going through an emotionally difficult time and are not wanting to speak to anyone you know – start by speaking to Jesus. He is the friend we all need, who can help us through difficult times. I love how Got Questions says the following about Jesus fulfilling this role in our lives:
“The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:13-15). Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His “friends.” What is more, anyone may become His friend by trusting in Him as his personal savior, being born again and receiving new life in Him.”
Upon believing in and following Jesus He is there to help. So please if you are going through an emotionally difficult time and need to chat to someone – don’t try and go through it alone – reach out to a close family member or friend you can trust or one of the pastors and we will try our best to help. But also, right now in this very moment, reach out to Jesus and speak to Him as He is already there with you in this trying time.
Much love,
Luke
Thanks so much for these helpful suggestions and your offer of support. It helps a lot to know one is not alone even if one feels that way at times!