Moments of Despair
“I am waving a flag of hope….”
The news, another young life, dancer well known, gone in an instant
“Pure love and light”, hopeful days before, best heart, lovely family, still the despair
Suicide, the surprising news, the shot not heard 1
I’ve had friends and family who had this incalculable loss in life
Stars on the screen I admired, the same devastating loss
A middle-aged mother, depression, so deep, pills at her side, survives but never the same, eyes and life forever changed,
Daughter wishing you could know the mom she knew
A friend’s father, the bridge, a moment of despair, falling when so much to live and rise to, the despairing moment, perhaps grasping, hope to undo, the surrender, white flag on the bridge
Wish we could turn back the clocks of time, for those seemingly invisible,
to offer love and lifting and help they need
Warn of the thin ice they are walking on
Young student, a teacher soon, military, careless night
lost all hope rollcall at the church -first name, their last name and their rank, no response, no echo, no life
Painfully onlookers, without breath even to ask why
Young teenager so beautiful and promising from the swing set hung
So despairing, at an age when so much possible
Inconceivable to think she had nothing to live for
Despairing moment, blind to the future
Beautiful coworker, singer, Christian advocate,
Child at home as a mother handling all strife
Despair, a moment, pills take her young beautiful life
The white flag of surrender at her side
No longer singing the song sounding in the hall for all to hear
Author, chef, and traveler, talent to parts unknown
No reservation of his love and loneliness as well, life hanging in the balance
Dark and lonely moments, despairing heartbroken
Surrenders, a white flag gently waves at his side
So many promising ones choose the same way
Blinded by despair
Walking on thin ice, the thin ice that is never safe
Possibly thinking that persevering through the end means being perfect without flaw
We surrender all, we lift the white flag, but we lift it high in hope,
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
“…a towel so white. But it bore a mighty message that simple emblem of homely service, wafted hitherward above the dark and crimsoned streams that never can wash themselves away.”2
Therefore, “We do not grieve as one’s without hope” 3
“So, the last question then becomes this: Can a Christian be so depressed and temporarily blinded to the hope of the gospel that he takes his life in a temporary moment of despair? And I think the answer to that is yes.” 4
“Seasons of darkness come and go in the Christian life
But between the terror that we should feel about that choice and the hopelessness for the victim of suicide, between those two I am waving a flag of hope that true faith can have a season that dark.”4
Moments of Despair
“I am waving a flag of hope….”
Glimpse poetry by Joe Holuta
About this Poem: Moments of Despair, "I am waving a flag of hope, is about the loss experienced from suicide, for the person and those they love. Christians with true faith experience as well and I feel they still will be part of our heavenly hope based on their salvation in Christ. I've attended funerals of the ones mentioned above and have looked family in the eye who have lost loved ones to suicide and have tried to provide this flag of hope in such a desperate place. - Joe Holuta
1. Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, DJ for 'Ellen DeGeneres Show,'
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/14/entertainment/stephen-boss-twitch-dead/index.html
2. 1 Thess 4:13-14 GNT. “Our friends, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.”
3. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain- The Passing of the Armies
4. John, Piper Suicide and Salvation
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/suicide-and-salvation
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| Thin ice |
