The Black family would like to express our gratitude for the outpouring of love and grace that we have experienced over the last few days and thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His sustaining power that will carry us through this challenging time.
Michael’s life is a message – our hope is that the pain we are feeling can be used to challenge all of us to not take life for granted, to truly live each moment to its fullest potential. Those of you who were close to Michael knew that he was always the life of the party, he was fully alive and he had a huge heart. He loved people and was always willing to reach out and make new friends. From leading teams in Africa, to inspiring his football, baseball, and rugby mates to reach for excellence, Michael was always looking to serve the people around him.
Michael had recently overcome so many challenges. He was making great decisions, doing well in school, and he was laughing deep laughter for the first time in a while. Hours before his death, he received an A on his English mid-term and was joking with his college counselors! He was truly a fighter to the very end. In spite of Michael’s heroic efforts and a lot of support, these last few months, he has continued to struggle with the mental illness of depression. Michael was an All American athlete, a fierce competitor, a great student and he was particularly frustrated that he could not overcome this darkness. In a moment of deep despair Tuesday night, he took his life.
We are so thankful for his life and thankful for the time we got to spend with him. He was a son, a warrior and always strived for perfection.
Please continue to pray for us as we walk through this difficult time.
A fund has been set up to help offset the tremendous costs involved. Donations can be sent electronically, and tax deductible at:
www.newlifechurch.org
Click “Give” on the menu line
Click “Give Online” (new people will have to set up an account – it’s very easy).
Click the “Give Now” button Under the “Give to” button, select “Memorials” from the drop down menu
Tab to the box to the right and select “Mike Black Memorial Fund” (it’s currently the only choice).
The memorial service for Michael will be held Sunday, April 21st at 4 pm at Newlife Church, 11025 Voyager Pkwy, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921.
Our continued thoughts and Prayers to the family and everyone effected by this tragedy. If you are a member of the RUCKUS Family make sure and show your respects.
It is never easy losing someone to suicide. Anyone that choses suicide will never understand the pain that he or she has left behind for the rest of the family members life. This is a war – Life is Peaks and Valleys and its never easy. I’ve always been fascinated by that verse in the book of James that says our lives pass like a vapor. That’s a realization that is very hard to internalize, until times like this happen… Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. I wish I could spend less time feeling the urgency of things that aren’t actually urgent, and spend more time exchanging meaning with those people and causes that matter most in my life.
I’m here in St. Louis with the Black Family, and its so sad in the way that funerals remind us, in very different ways, about how short our lives really are. I found this video that hit me really hard. I wanted to share it with you guys. It’s a film made by Jeroen Wolf who took to the streets of Amsterdam and asked people to look into the camera and simply state their age. It begins with a baby and ends with a woman in her hundredth year.
It’s only like two minutes long, but the amazing thing is it feels just like life. It starts slow as though we are going to walk the earth forever, then suddenly at around twenty-seven, the voices change and the faces are suddenly adult. Then suddenly everybody seems old, then suddenly older, then as though they are in their final years, then it’s over.
The scary thing about life is it feels so very long, and by the time you realize it’s short, you’ve lived most of it.
Memorial T Shirts for Michael are available HERE, they are branded with his name, rugby number, and deathcrew logo. Let his life be a testament of Strength and Honour. He will be dearly missed…
