The marvelous Rio Grande Trail that runs from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Robin Williams died of an apparent suicide today. Life is hard. Sometimes life is very hard. Some of us have struggles that never let up and pound relentlessly against our minds and hearts for years, decades, even lifetimes. Many of us get to the dangerous point where we can’t take it anymore.

I pray for the desperate, that somewhere, even in the lost crannies at the back of their minds, they would keep a sliver of hope alive that a powerful and loving God exists. Then, perhaps, when that pinnacle of crisis comes, when the darkness is so overpowering that they have no strength left to fight it, that they would turn to Him in agony and cry for help.

In our most desperate hour is when He proves Himself the mightiest to save. When we have nowhere else to turn, and all is dark, confused and horrible around us, if we’ll turn for just a moment and sob our terrible helplessness to Him, He will come running to save us from ourselves. In that most difficult moment of humility He lifts us out of the sheer darkness of our lives and sets us in a new place. He rescues us from our hell and, miracle of miracles, seats us in a place full of hope, joy, and peace.

Don’t let your heart become so hard that you can’t believe in the Almighty at all. If you do, you may not allow yourself to find Him or even think to look for Him when that critical crisis slams into your life with a frightening force you didn’t expect. Give yourself a bit of hope. As Jerry McGuire said, “We live in a cynical world.” If we let it, cynicism will dry up our hearts and sap every last vestige of our hope.

My photo shows a beautiful path. He has a great path for all of us as well. One of great beauty, with green grasses, blue skies, overwhelming love. And with a clear path, a straight path. That path is not always easy but it can be full of that rescuing love every day of your life. This is truly a spiritual mystery. I cannot logically explain it, I cannot prove it by scientific methods, but it happened and Jesus radically saved my life 20 years ago. His saving love is available to all of us, when we most need it.

May Robin rest in peace. And may his family be comforted by God’s sweet peace.

“It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.” Eph 1:13 (MSG)

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