Semicolons are the face of a semi-new movement to raise awareness of and to stop suicides. It's called the semicolon project.

www.projectsemicolon.org

A semicolon drawn on someone's wrist is to be a reminder that your story isn't over. A semicolon is used in literature when the author could have ended the sentence but chose not to. That is the message of Project Semicolon. It's a metaphorical reminder to a person that their life is the sentence and they are the author. Therefore, you get to decide when your life ends.

This movement has a good and powerful message, but I don't agree 100% with their platform. Before you raise your fists and pitchforks, hear me out. I agree with the movement that every life has purpose, but I don't believe that the individual is the only author of their own story. Why do I think that? Let me ask you these questions: How do you know when your purpose in life is complete? How do you know what choice to make? How do you know when to put a semicolon or a period? What if my feelings or thoughts tell me to put a period where an ellipsis is supposed to be?

I'm not crazy and I'm not depressed. In fact, I struggled with depression as a teenager because I thought I could be the author. I had such low self-esteem because I tried writing my story the way I wanted it to be. So I tried writing my story to be like other people's story, which only made me more insecure because I wasn't at all like them. The people I tried to be weren't bad, in fact, most of them were people from my church. But the reason why I was so unhappy (at least behind closed doors) is because I was trying to be everyone else but the person God created me to be. I didn't see the purpose in being me, so writing my own story didn't help my self-esteem or give me purpose. In fact, it felt pointless even to write the story. I didn't have any vision or plans after high school until I finally passed the math standardized test and was able to graduate with my class. I wasn't looking to the future because I didn't even know if I could get through the present. My life wasn't awful; I actually was very involved in school clubs and sports, and I had best friends and great leaders at church. I believe that God gave me those things so that I wouldn't give up on my life in high school, because even though I couldn't see it back then God had so much more planned.

Ephesians 2:10 (New International Version) says,

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

The word "handiwork" is translated from the original Greek word, "poiema" (poy`-ay-mah) which is where we get the English word "poem" from. The definition is "a thing made, a work, what has been made, workmanship," which is why "workmanship" or "masterpiece" is used in other Bible translations. But I love to use the word "handiwork" because the image of an author comes to mind. When I think of an author I think about my favorite books that I can read over and over again. I think of the story the author tells and why I love the story so much. I love certain stories usually because I connect to the character(s) in some way. The author's goal is to write characters who are relatable to the reader. Then the reader will want to read to the end regardless of the problems in the storyline. Sometimes the end might not be a satisfying end for us, but there isn't anything we can do to change the outcome. We can't change what the author has already written. Our only job is to read the story, fall in love with the characters, cry with them, feel their anger, fear, confusion, or leap with joy because we can identify with the characters feelings. And by the end of the book, we are either dancing with joy or crying because of a bittersweet ending. The story has ended, now what? What do you do once the book you couldn't put down for days, weeks, or maybe even one night has ended? You continue to live your life.

Unlike the characters in a novel, you are real and you have a free will. If you woke up today then your story isn't over and you have choices. You could be going through a hard time right now financially, physically, or emotionally; maybe a family member is sick, you just moved to a new city, you're about to graduate from college and don't know what's next, maybe you don't know where your relationship with your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse is going next. You have the choice to get up and go to work. You can decide where you want to invest your time and energy in. You can decide when to even quit on a person or your job whenever you feel like quitting. But how many times have you felt like doing something only to regret it later? Or have you doubted your job, degree, or a relationship? How do you know that you're on the right path? Do you quit when discouragement comes or when you don't know all the answers? If we base our decisions on our feelings we'll be tossed around like a ship at sea in the middle of a storm. It's when moments of questioning come up that I am reminded of my limitations as an author. Yes, I can make my own decisions, but I've found that in my life when I make decisons based solely on my feelings, I end up more confused or I regret it later.

When I'm writing a story I can make up anything I want because I control every person and situation that my characters encounter. Even when a character makes a bad decision I can control the outcome, but in life while we have control over our decisions, we don't have control over the outcome, or consequences, from our decisions.If I really want the big screen TV in the window I can either work and put money aside to buy it, or I could steal it. The first choice means I've learned the value of hard work and wise spending. The latter would put me in jail, or I would owe the store a big fine. The law would not listen to me if my defense was "But I really want that TV!" My American rights would give me the freedom to make my own choice and have an attorney to defend my case, but the law does not say that I would not be punished for my actions.

Romans 3:23 says that "we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." We messed up. We chose to disobey God. We are sinners and evil people, and we deserve death. But continue reading in Romans 3 verse 24, "for all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

We deserve death, we don't deserve to live. But God has you and me here because He loves us and He wants us to be near Him as we walk this earth.

That is why I trust Him as the author of my life because He is the author of all life. I don't know what to do next and sometimes I don't even want to know. Even if my feelings tell me to be scared of life and my heart tells me it's not worth the fight, God tells me that my story isn't finished yet; that He still has plans for me today. He is not like the human author who is limited by a certain amount of ink in a pen or a number of pages in a book. He is the creator of this world and the author of every life. He gives purpose each day even in the mundane.

God is not limited by a semicolon or a period.

God is able to do immeasurably more with us despite our limitations. The only question is, will you trust the God of the universe, who created and loves you, to write your story?

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
-Ephesians 3:20-21

What do I do when I feel that my life has no purpose? I fight back with what I know what is absolute truth: God created me, and everything God creates has a purpose. (Read Genesis chapter 1 and 2)

We all have different gifts, talents, and callings but we are all called to one thing and that's to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe and to worship Him. God is not a god who created the world and abandoned His creation. He is still present and active in our lives whether we realize it or not, and He ultimately wants us to be in perfect relationship with Him again. Sin has stopped that perfect relationship, which is why God chose to give us the ultimate gift of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ, to leave His higher place in Heaven to become a lowly human. He became man so He could live among us and relate to us, and to be the perfect and blameless sacrifice for all of mankind.

Red, yellow, black and white, we are ALL precious in His sight!

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NIV)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17 New International Version)

This is my purpose. This is why I do not give up on life wherever I go. This is why I keep going even in the most difficult and painful moments. If I write my story the way I want, my story will be about fleeting feelings and meaningless. I'm an awful writer without the Author of Life breathing life into me.

"Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you."
(Psalm 63:3-5 NIV)