By Sara Hutchcraft
It's a long, complicated road, isn't it? This thing we call life. Yet we trip along, thinking we know where we're going, with lofty plans and daring dreams.
They say hindsight is 20/20 - sometimes it can serve as a guidebook for how to go forward. These are the stones of remembrance that we set along the way as we go - to remind us of what to hold onto when the waves threaten to take us under.
I owe Native Americans so much. We all do.
They helped the Pilgrims stay alive.
They helped create our Constitution with their model of representative government. They helped in every war our country's fought - in larger numbers per capita than any other ethnic group in America.
And they helped me.
The First Americans. The forgotten Americans. Native Americans.
It's a Christmas like no other. In a year like no other.
One clue it was different is the Santa Claus at a very popular store in our area. It was humorous to see their commercial, as they tried to say, "Come on - it'll be fun - and safe!"
A truck driving away from a warehouse wouldn't usually be the lead story on national news.
This week it was! That truck was loaded with hope! It carried the first shipment of an anti-COVID vaccine. And that might be the biggest news of all this relentlessly painful year!
I've never been in a major earthquake. Well, except for this pandemic. Seems like it's shaken just about everyone and everything.
One thing earthquakes do - they reveal the buildings that weren't built strong enough to stand the shock. Just like floods reveal the weaknesses in a levee or a dam. Or a flood wall that wasn't built high enough.
By Brad Hutchcraft
Life is definitely different nowadays. Including planning family vacations. After being very careful and sticking close to home the past several weeks (due to some at-risk health factors), it was time to get away for a few family days. After exploring some options where we could still be careful but could also stretch our legs, we took the camping plunge!
So my son goes in the Post Office to pick up mail from his box. He comes out laughing. I ask what's so funny. "I just came out of a United States Post Office wearing a mask! Can you imagine that four months ago?"
Anger, injustice, violence, death, disease, fear, unemployment - so much hurt. Our hearts ache for the brokenness and bleeding of a nation and world - and those we love. But we are not powerless!
By Doug Hutchcraft
On the news or social media, you can't miss it: people young and old, regardless of political affiliation or financial situation, in disbelief about an awful tragedy.
You won't find any shortage of commentary about it. I can't help but process this through my own experience - listening to people with hearts that have been broken. My desire is to try to respond with God's perspective. My dad Ron puts it powerfully: "Since 9/11 I have prayed during shocking moments in the news: 'Lord, help me see and feel what You see and feel here.'"
Our then-high school grandson kept coming up with these "hmmm" kind of gems. Like this:
"Life's different from school. In school, you have the lessons, then the test. In life, you have the test - then the lessons."
Like I said - "hmmmm."
