Ripples in the stream

My friend Charles Henry at Covenant Zone recently gave a eulogy at the funeral of a co-worker who had taken his own life.

What does one say at a time like that? There are so many conflicts inside our own heads, at any given time -- we all wrestle with the demons that all too easily take over thinking to the point where we may feel we're glad to end it all. Most of us may celebrate life -- indeed, our Creator gave us life so we could, basically, have a ball on this short chapter in the long story --

But demons are seductive. We know how easy it is to slide down into despair. Nothing is going right. We keep fighting, and not winning. We've all been there. And so, to speak at a funeral for someone who lost the fight is extremely hard. Where do we find the words that will comfort?

Here's what he had to say about the day:

"This whole sad nightmare makes me think about how far even our short lives can take us. All it takes is that first step, that first act of faith, the attempt to live with the doubt that we can never truly know whether there might yet exist a better tomorrow than the yesterday we leave behind us."

And here is the secret to victory over death. No demon -- even those persuasive enough to convince someone to "end" their life -- will win, in the end. When we move on, we are beyond demons.

It's hard for us ants to know we're going to be okay, in the end (or the beginning) of a chapter -- especially when one of us ends his own life. But we will.

Frankly, few things are harder than to stand up at a funeral and address these things. A hug to you, Charles Henry.