Little People, Big World's Audrey Roloff Pays Tribute to Pastor Jarrid Wilson After His Suicide
Audrey Roloff is opening up about the emotional moment she learned she had lost her friend, Pastor Jarrid Wilson.
A little over a week after Wilson died by suicide, the Little People, Big World star, 28, paid tribute to her friend in a touching Instagram post.
Speaking candidly to her followers on Tuesday, Audrey revealed that she learned the devastating news on her daughter Ember’s 2nd birthday, but noted how she was taken aback at the way her toddler was so compassionate and loving amid her sorrow.?
“On Ember’s 2nd birthday we found out that our friend Jarrid took his own life?? It was shocking and absolutely heartbreaking news. I couldn’t breathe when I found out and sobbed for hours??,” she began the emotional post, which featured a sweet photo of Audrey holding Ember as she kissed her mom on the cheek.
“Ember saw my tears, ‘Sad mama?’ We sat on the couch together and she kept giving m[e] pats on my shoulder and saying, ‘It’s ok mama, no more crying, happy mama?’ When I kept crying she would wipe away my tears and say, ‘blow mama, blow’ and she would show me how to blow just like I do with her when she’s upset. Cue more tears??,?” Audrey continued.
The pregnant mother of one went on to express her condolences to Jarrid’s widow, Juli Wilson, and their two sons Finch and Denham, before encouraging her followers to be more understanding, especially when it comes to those with mental illnesses.
“Jarrid and his wife Juli have been such faithful encouragers and good friends since before we were married,” she wrote, referencing her husband Jeremy Roloff. “As we’ve been crying, processing, and praying, we’ve felt all the emotions that come with loss – anger, confusion, hurt, shock, etc.”
“This past week I just keep thinking about @itsjuliwilson and her two boys and praying in desperation????,” Audrey continued. “Praying that Lord would give those boys peace that surpasses understanding. That Juli would be flooded with prayer, love, encouraging truth, practical help, and compassion. That Jarrid’s life would be honored well. That people who struggle with anxiety, depression, and mental illness would not lose hope. And ultimately, that people who don’t struggle with mental illness would be compassionate.”
RELATED: Pastor Jarrid Wilson, Who Died by Suicide at 30, Remembered for ‘Gentle and Loving’ Soul
“Mental illness has a lot of stigma around it, unfortunately especially in the church,” Audrey pointed out. “I think we can be better, especially in times of mourning, to be less critical and more compassionate. To be quicker to love than to judge. To be more like a two-year-old comforting her mama.”
“While I was sitting on the couch with Ember mourning the loss of our friend, I realized how much more COMPASSIONATE my 2-year-old is than most adults,” she finished. “Sometimes people just need you to sit with them, wipe their tears, and blow.”
In a final note, Audrey wrote: “We love you Jarrid ??.”
Audrey is just one of the many people who have paid tribute to the popular megachurch pastor and mental health advocate since he died on Sept. 9 at the age of 30.
Jarrid’s wife broke the news in an Instagram post featuring a video of Jarrid playing with their son. Juli explained in the video that Jarrid had died by 11:45 p.m., writing that “suicide doesn’t get the last word.”
Since then, other religious leaders have written messages about mental illness as they remembered Jarrid as “a champion for the vulnerable.”
“I’m heartbroken over the passing of my friend @JarridWilson,” Robby Gallaty, the senior pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church, tweeted. “He was a champion for anyone struggling with anxiety/depression/suicide. I’m praying for [Juli] and the children. I’m going to miss him very much.”
“Absolutely grieved by the loss of my friend @JarridWilson. Pray for his wife and children,” Daniel Darling, of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, wrote on Twitter. “Jarrid was a champion for the vulnerable. Loved the gospel. And a relentless advocate pushing the church to take mental illness seriously.”
Jarrid, a pastor at the Harvest Christian Fellowship Church in California, had long been public about his struggles with depression and mental illness. In 2016, he founded Anthem of Hope, a Christian organization dedicated to “amplifying hope for those battling brokenness, depression, anxiety, self-harm, addiction and suicide,” its website states.
One of his final tweets, sent the day he died, addressed his battles, but praised his faith for offering respite.
“Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD,” Jarrid wrote. “Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety. But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. He ALWAYS does that.”
In the hours before his death, Jarrid officiated a funeral for a woman who also died by suicide, according to a tweet from the pastor.
“Officiating a funeral for a Jesus-loving woman who took her own life today,” he wrote. “Your prayers are greatly appreciated for the family.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.