JURY DUTY & BIBLE CLASS.....

I was going to write about being 'called' for JURY DUTY, again--I served back in June of 1996. BUT, since I didN'T even GET PICKED to serve--at the 'Voir dere'--on Monday & not sure WHY, even--INSTEAD I've decided to pass on something REALLY GOOD that 'happened' in our 5th Grade Bible Class at church this past Sunday.

Our lesson was on The 10 Commandments, Exodus 20 & since we have quite a few really SMART students in our 20 or so who come every week, I'm repeatedly AMAZED by some of their questions. Well, when we got down to # 6--"You shall NOT murder"--I didn't figure there would be much discussion on this one--pretty clear cut, right??!!!!!--Well, I WAS SURPRISED--because one girl brought up SUICIDE!!!!!!!!!

And, as we discussed THAT subject further, NONE of them had ever even had it CROSS THEIR MINDS, YET--thank goodness--but, as we discussed it, I found a RARE & GOOD OPPORTUNITY to help them, later in their lives IF it EVER did 'come up'--I had them ALL raise their right hands & 'PROMISE', YES, PROMISE, OUT LOUD, that IF/when suicide EVER DID cross their minds, that they would TALK WITH SOMEONE--and, it didn't have to be their parents.

I went on to explain that IF these thoughts were in their minds, they were NOT THINKING 'RIGHT' & that's WHY it would be so URGENT that they TALK WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!!!!!!!!!!!! These kids are 10 & 11 years old, so besides being SO GLAD that NONE of them had thought about suicide, YET; I felt REALLY GOOD about--MAYBE/HOPEFULLY--heading off ANY FUTURE problems that they MIGHT have with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is 'one of those times/things' that just 'HAPPENED'--I had NOT planned this, at all, and just 'went with things' as they FLOWED from the students' questions--so, because of that, I feel like/THINK that THIS WAS A 'GOD-THING'--FROM GOD/HIS SPIRIT--that we even talked about it & that I thought to get them to SAY they would ASK for help!!!!!!!

You may think this was TOO SOON--5th Grade--but, I HAVE heard of kids in as low as 3rd Grade having these thoughts. And, can you just IMAGINE how LOST an 8-year-old FEELS if/when that happens to them??!!!!!!!!!

And, as I've ALWAYS thought/felt--the SOONER the better--when talking to ALL our kids about LIFE & the things they MAY end up facing in THEIRS!!!!!!!!!!!!! We NEED to ARM them with INFORMATION before they NEED it, so they will HAVE it WHEN they NEED it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OR at least TELL them WHERE they can FIND it!!!!!

This was VERY ENCOURAGING to me, so I thought it would be a GOOD THING to PASS ON!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you all are doing/feelng well. We're doing great--I'm FINALLY WELL--I'm pretty sure--almost 'afraid' to SAY it--ha!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RoRo