Imagine God is creating a sculpture.  He spends so much time and effort on each individual detail, making sure it is beautiful and perfect in its own special way.  After God finishes his sculpture, He knows that it is irreplaceable and that no other sculpture will ever be just like it.  But slowly over time, plaster flakes off the sculpture until there is nothing left but dust.  This is how God feels when we permanently damage ourselves or when we contemplate ending our lives.  There will never be someone else that can replace us because of the unique talents and gifts God has given us.  We each have a special place in this world, and this is why it is so important to live our lives to the fullest.

When she was younger, my cousin did not realize she had a special place in this world.  As a young teenager, she fell into a deep depression that lasted for years.  While she was in this depression, she thought the only way to dull the emotional pain that loomed inside of her was to harm herself.  Her depression became bigger and bigger, and then she finally caved in to the demons inside of her.  When she was fifteen, she attempted suicide.  Her mother luckily found her just in time and rushed her to the hospital before it was too late.  After that experience and years of therapy, she finally understood the real beauty of life and realized that her life was worth living.  She is now almost thirty years old, a teacher to special needs students, and happily married with a newborn daughter.  She has completely turned her life around and could not be happier.

After hearing that story about my cousin, I now realize how important it is to move on, no matter how hard things get.  Everyone was put on this earth for a reason, and we should never take our life for granted.  God loves us all so incredibly much, and wants us to have a positive effect on others around us.  We all have the ability to change the world, and this is why it is so important to value our lives and to not throw them away.