I admire the Warrens protective privacy of Matthew's struggle with mental illness over the years, including depression. It is hard to live in the spotlight and to keep some guarded privacy around your children must be extremely difficult to manage at times. I am touched because I have learned and felt cared for by Pastor Rick through The Purpose Driven Life: 40 Days of Purpose and 40 Days of Community. Many people in our church were changed through these church-wide studies in past years. I have been uplifted, encouraged, and inspired to live a life following Christ wholeheartedly through Pastor Rick's ministry. I receive updates from his Facebook page and encouraging e-mails. I will probably never meet him on this side of heaven, but I feel that Rick and Kay are my spiritual brother and sister.
As I saw negative or hateful comments coming forth on the Facebook page, I was deeply saddened for them. Pastor Rick has been responding with kindness and forgiveness, but he has also been writing of his deep emotional pain right now. I can already see that this very scary and misunderstood topic of mental illness can now be talked about more openly, even in the church. God would never make something bad happen to someone, but He does have the ultimate power to turn something good out of a tragedy. Maybe this event will spur ministers and church leaders to better understand the mental and emotional needs of those around them. I just keep praying for Jesus to wrap His loving arms around these loving parents. I pray that they will hear Him speak comfort and peace to their souls, when no one else really can.
Your most intimate experiences of worship will most likely be in your darkest days –when your heart is broken.~RickWarren
Please continue to pray for this family and reach out to them in love, as they have done for so many others!
Rachel
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