Sadly today we got news in our office that someone we used to provide care to died in a tragic incident on the Motorway. She was a 17 year old girl, who should have had so much of life ahead of her. Though she had trauma and personal difficulties that affected her young life. And sadly somehow her life has been cut too short. Unfortunately this is not a one off story and in the culture and age we live in of young people struggling with mental health more and more it is likely to be more common. There is a term in the mental health industry called ‘death by misadventure’. It should not be so.

In my devotional reading for this morning I read the following from JR Miller.

“Because a young man has wasted his youth, he must not therefore lose heart and think all is lost. There are other opportunities waiting for him!”

“The loss of youth is irreparable. The golden years can never be gotten back. The innocence, the beauty, the power, are gone for ever. Yet why should a man squander all because he has squandered the best? Because the mourning has been thrown away, why should all the day be lost?”

“The lesson is for all who have failed in any way. Christ ever calls to hope. He bids us rise again from the worst defeat. In the kingdom of grace there is always margin enough to start again, and to build up a noble life!”

JR. Miller Daily Reading in the Life of Christ, Never Despair Nov 15th.

Don’t waste your life and don’t allow your life to be wasted.

Yes we all go through trials and tribulations, my prayer is that all people will have the opportunity to receive help from another compassionate human being and ultimately receive the deliverance of the soul that only Christ can provide.

Whatever stage of life you are at, live it to the full.

See it as a gift, whatever you have left. Invest into others especially the younger generation. Taking time to serve others always endears gratitude and goodness to our hearts.

God can restore what has been wasted or taken.

Offer the Lord what you have daily.