“If I don’t hear from God, I’m going to kill myself at the end of the semester.”
The casual weekend meal took a dramatic turn as the student began venting his frustration. I knew that his father had been killed in the line of duty several years ago, and that this student and his family were struggling. The young man had reached a breaking point and, as I sat at a table full of stunned students who had no more idea how to handle the conversation than I did, I felt so desperately inadequate.
This is why peer-to-peer discipleship is so important. Each one of us has relationships that others cannot access, or cannot access in the same way. People often turn to those they trust and will usually talk to their spiritual community before they approach the professional mental health community. In the moments when a hurting person opens up and acknowledges his or her struggle, how do you respond?
In my ignorance, I did not handle the above situation well. I didn’t know to ask questions, to draw out the story, and to hear his heart rather than react to his words. Thankfully, a few weeks later the student had a significant encounter with Jesus and did not end his life.
This conversation and a couple others like it ignited my interest in counseling. I wanted to gather tools so that, when I found myself in hard conversations with friends, I would be more prepared and would not feel desperate or helpless. This same goal motivates our next adult education class, Turning Pain Into Connection which begins next Sunday, March 2 at 11:15am in the auditorium.
Over the course of 8 weeks, the counseling team and I will teach you more about meeting others in their struggles. We will talk about emotions, looking beneath the surface to the heart of the matter, listening well, asking questions, and how to respond to hard or surprising revelations. The class is meant to be helpful to you personally as well as highly practical for working and talking with others.
Imagine how Jesus might use BG as we all deepen our ability to connect with others. We hope you will make plans to participate in this class!