"The Rag" has kept the Houghton College Class of '71 connected for forty-four years. This newsletter was the brain child of one of my classmates, Diane Stevens, who has almost single-handedly sent out reminders, then collated the annual submissions and sent them out. In the early years, this was no small feat, before the advent of email. I'm sure it's much easier now, but her dedication to this task has been the glue that has kept us in contact for all these years. I am not aware of any other class that has maintained this kind of connection.
Recently, I received the annual reminder for submissions for this year's edition...and the second and third reminders as well. These kinds of things have a way of slipping to the back burner, till today I received a note forwarded by Diane from one of my classmates whose wife has been battling breast cancer that spread to her brain and spinal cord, and finally to her abdominal cavity. After months of radiation and chemo, they decided to discontinue treatments and bring her home. She has been relatively pain free for eight months now, and is hoping to live long enough to see two new grand babies due in September.
I updated everyone on my retirement and a few other details from the past year, but nothing I could write seemed to have any significance compared to the news from this classmate. In my prayers tonight, as I brought her before our Lord, I wondered aloud about the mystery of God's grace. There is a Jewish story about the creation of the world. God sent two angels, each with a sack of stones to make the earth; one of them broke over Israel. That's how it often feels for me: God's sack of blessing broke over me; why, I cannot say. Whatever trials I have seem so inconsequential compared to those of others--my classmate, Christians suffering in the Muslim-dominated Middle East or North Korea. My friend Willie, who has lived most of his life under a closed and oppressive governmental system, instead of exhibiting jealousy or promoting guilt for all we have been given, tells us to enjoy the blessings we have, with thanksgiving. I do, Willie; I surely do.
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