This is going to be a bit long but please bear with me.

I have four sons and a daughter and they're all great kids. 11 grandchildren with one on the way. One big happy family most of the time. My youngest son Sterling is 24 and has at times had a bad attitude and struggled with his beliefs and had anger issues since he was about 12. The last five years has been particularly trying. It's been rough. He's been homeless at times and can't seem to get his bearings. He's been in a couple bad relationships with really messed up girls who are super dysfunctional and one was verbally and physically abusive. Last July they got in a big fight and she called the cops. He had left her and moved back in with us until he could find a place of his own and she came over to our house while we weren't there to tell him she was pregnant (she may or may not have been don't know if it was a manipulative lie or not.) He's facing felony charges, even though he says she was the one being physically abusive. We have seen the bruises on him previously from her. She's lied about things like this before. Clearly he has made a lot of mistakes and as a lot of anger from something, and has a temper that has caused him some problems, but they are saying things he says are not true or are exaggerated.

This court thing has drug on and on now it's been almost a year and they have brought his former girlfriend into the mix and got her to say a bunch of bad things about him, even though the two girls hate each other. The second girl got a restraining order against him but kept calling him and leaving voicemails and texts saying she loves him and can't live without him. Begging him to call or text her. sob stories, guilt trips. He has 76 of these texts and voicemails over the past months. It's been eroding his mental health. She also called my wife many times crying. Now if there is actually a baby, he hasn't seen it and doesn't know his name. This has been wearing on his sanity and mental health. He's been going down hill, but had a court date last week and he was hoping to get some resolution. Unfortunately they pushed it off for another two months. He just snapped.

In the early hours of Thursday morning he put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. I found him and it's a long story but he is alive. The bullet ranged along his jaw, cheekbone and exited his temple without penetrating the brain. His face is messed up and he has about 30 stitches but he's okay. They held him in the ER for two days and he's now in a mental health facility in Fargo. I do not know how long they will hold him but if he doesn't get help he's a threat to himself when he gets out.

My wife is a basket case as you can imagine. The rest of my family is really hurting. For me, I am just so grateful that he is alive and I am truly hoping that this is the turning point I have been praying for for years.

I'm not asking for advice. Just pray.

Pray for his mental health, that he will turn his heart around, get the help he needs, figure out what happened in his childhood that caused him to take a turn for the worse and begin the healing process. Also pray for my wife and our family.

Thank you.

UPDATE
Sterling was released from the mental health facility and is doing well. His meds are helping a lot, just praying that he keeps taking them. He is feeling very lonely because he has alienated all his friends. He's moved into a spare bedroom at our house for the time being and is talking about bowhunting and trapping this fall. He was asking me about broadheads. He says he is interested in helping me run bear baits in mid-August. I got him a pair of good hunting boots and Carhart pants to encourage that because he has almost nothing to wear. (He's been living in his car for months.) He cut his hair for the first time in over a year. Yesterday he went to a job interview. Unreal. He's got a long road ahead of him, and a major court case in August, but I can breathe a little easier. Thank you all for praying.

Prayers for everyone involved.

Prayers sent.



Charlie

prayers sent Bernie..may the Lord be with you and your family

I will pray for Sterling

God be with you all and you and your wife can't blame your selves for his actions.

Bernie, I sure hope things turn around for your son. I also hope you and your family heal as well. I can only imagine how painful this has been for you and the rest of your family. Prayers sent.

Prayers sent.

Prayers sent.

Prayers.

Prayers sent .

Prayers for Sterling, Bernie. I hope and pray he gets his ducks in a row, for everyone's sake!

Prayers

Prayers sent Bernie. May God bless and heal your family. Prayers my friend

Prayers sent!!

Praying

Praying Bernie

Prayers sent

Praying for him and your family.