The Unseen Wounds and a Silent Killer

30 years ago I held my new baby nephew in my arms marveling about what a miracle he was. He was no ordinary baby boy and although, I may be bias, I know those who knew him would whole heartedly agree that he was a pretty amazing kid. Talented and scary smart, he had so much potential to be most anything he wanted. As all well meaning, loving families do, we imagined what he would be when he grew up and being a compassionate boy we thought of all the people he could affect in whatever capacity he decided. Time and years went by and my deep thinking nephew's demeanor and focus seemed to be erratic and full of anxiety.Years heavy with the weight of feeling helpless, his parents were unable to pinpoint the cause of their sons behavior and in his adult years had no power to make him get the medical help they knew he needed.
Mental illness is a reality.  I have been encouraged by the awareness and exposure that I am seeing in the media.  I hope that as a Christian we will not rationalize these real disorders into a spiritual discussion.  As a Christ follower I believe in the power of a mighty God and I believe that He can and will one day heal all our disease and sickness but I also know that when we say cancer or diabetes our knowledge and understanding tell us that sometimes people die and good people are not exempt from these illnesses. No one would say that people cause their own cancer and hinder their own healing. The same needs to be recognized with mental illness. Mental illness goes unseen and misunderstood but has been taking lives for so long under the labels of "troubled" "demonic", "attention seeking" among other things. 1 in 5 people suffer from some form of mental illness.  Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-44 and 90% of those are attributed to a form of mental illness.
I cannot and will not point fingers at God or at any person struggling with the weight and burden of a disorder or disease that is the outcome of a dying and sinful world.  Yet we have hope:  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16)
What can we do to help?  We can do what we can to love without limits, give what we can for those who suffer and not let our ignorance be the defining judgment on any one who finds themselves suffering.  Learn. Love. Give.
I challenge you to take a look at the world around you and LEARN, be aware so that you can help and LOVE in the best, most affective way you can.  GIVE as you can to help in bringing awareness and treatment for the sufferers, they represent our grandmas, brothers, best friends, nephews, sons, granddaughters, ourself.
Two months ago my nephew died.  His struggle with Schizophrenia went untreated and took his life. Although my nephew's face and name go unrecognized to you, he wasn't the only one who died from a mental illness that day, there was another whose face, work, life, and name is recognized by almost everyone, Robin Williams. No one is exempt.
My sister gave a very special, heart wrenching, sincere speech at my nephews funeral. In it she said that when Zach was born the rush of responsibility of not just nurturing physically but spiritually overcame her. Overwhelmed with emotion she wept and asked God to take Zach's new life into His hands. She dedicated her life to doing the best she could to raise him in the full knowledge of the Lord.  Many times Zach chose to turn from God but in the last months of his life he had made it known that Jesus was His hope and nothing was more important to him than that relationship. Scripture was flowing from him, scripture that was hidden deep inside him from all his bible quizzing years. So on that day my sister was able to address everyone at the memorial with a thankful heart to God for the reassurance that she would see him in heaven and when all is said and done that is all that really matters. We wrestle with grief in his absence but are comforted in the thought of a joyful reunion one day.

 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

This is the verse that Zach had posted on his Facebook cover photo a month before he died:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Click here to give in honor of my nephew, Zachary Allen Kirk, towards research and help for those who live with mental illness.

I also live in a place that is not unaware of the heartache of loss of life from mental illness, click here to support the documentary being made about Daniel Olson's story.