I learned this week of an aunt four generations back who, shortly after the birth of her first baby, ended her life and that of her baby – life that was evidently unbearable for this early pioneer.
I am certain her family was devastated. And I cannot imagine the darkness this ancestor must have felt prior to her death.
Perhaps she felt broken – unfixable. Like many who end their lives, she may have felt like a burden to her family – or that she couldn’t possibly meet the demands of her young infant. And surely she could see no way out of the darkness.
Although not all of us will experience mental illness or the depths of despair that lead to thoughts of suicide, all of us at one time or another feel broken. “I’m not smart enough, or pretty enough, or kind enough, or faithful enough,” we tell ourselves. “I don’t love enough.”
A lie.
Last week, a friend shared a beautiful verse from Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem.”
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
None of us are perfect. And yet, we are ALL enough! Even with our shattered, broken hearts, we are enough! And though we may see through a glass darkly, to God, we are enough! And He loves us.
