Today's Headlines

If you're anything like me, headlines are not simply something we read or hear. They are something we see. I hear about a sick friend.... but I see a strong man broken because he can't heal his daughter. I read about evil men taking over a city.... but I see women crouched in closets, hushing babies, bracing for death. These scenes loop through my brain like a broken record. And then I read these words.

Sometimes I just want it to stop. Talk of COVID, looting, brutality. I lose my way. I become convinced that this "new normal" is real life. Then I meet an 87-year-old who talks of living through polio, diphtheria, Vietnam protests, and yet, is still enchanted with life.

He seemed surprised when I said that 2020 must be especially challenging for him. "No," he said slowly, looking me straight in the eyes. "I've learned a long time ago to not see the world through the printed headlines, I see the world through the people that surround me. I see the world with the realization that we love big. Therefore, I just choose to write my own headlines: 

"Husband loves wife today."

"Family drops everything to come to Grandma's bedside."

"Old man makes new friend."

His words collide with my worries, freeing them from the tether I had been holding tight. They float away. I am left with a renewed spirit and a new way to write my own headlines.

- story by Andy Stanley

With the weight of grief and pain pressing down on our weary hearts, maybe its time to write our own headlines. I'll start.

Toddler Washes Out Her Own Soiled Panties with Garden Hose.

Family Goes on Meandering Hike.

A Brand New Baby Girl is Born.

Wife Finds that Baking is Bearable When Wearing an Apron.

Old Lady Assures Neighbor Girls She's Not Moving, Just Getting a New Dining Room Suite.

Husband Never Stops Dreaming. (Wife Loves Him for It.)

Toddler Captures Moody, Artsy Photo of Her Mother Standing in a Field.

Daughter Experiences Live Theater with Mother.

Friend Mails Package and Prays.

A Mother Enjoys Giant Slide as Much as Daughter.

A Daddy Remembers When His Girls Were Tiny. 

These headlines will never erase the horrors of this broken world. But they tip the scale just a little in favor of hope. As I write them out, I can see them again, in full color.

What is a headline from your life this week?