Finding peace and hope in a life of uncertainty

By all accounts this has been an extraordinary year with little to no cheer filling our lives. The cheer-o-meter has been running on low, perhaps even non-existent, for most of the year.
With a worldwide pandemic followed by great social unrest to a remarkable election that divided our country, 2020 has produced significant uncertainty in all of our lives. For many of us, we simply don’t know where to turn to next.
It has been a tough year for us to cover the communities we serve. The news hasn’t always been the greatest, and we struggle to keep positive and build hope for a better tomorrow. So much has been taken away from us that has never happened before.
Despite all the negativity that permeates our lives, there is hope. We are showing each other that we can get through the tough times. We will survive all the dreaded events of 2020.
As we have done for the past several years, our staff went in search of Christmas miracles for this week’s holiday edition. It’s what I affectionately refer to as our “Good News Edition.” It’s my Christmas gift to all of our wonderful readers. I think we need a jolt of cheer and positivity this year more than ever before.
We uncovered a variety of stories, features, photographs and columns that truly put things into perspective. Hope, inspiration, joy and happiness are looming out on the horizon. We just need to take the blinders off and look for it.
One of my favorites is a teenager from Owatonna who decorates his neighborhood with holiday lights and music. Nolan Baker is only a junior in high school, but he has been decorating his house and a couple of his neighbors’ homes for four years. He is definitely far beyond his years in maturity. If he’s a symbol of what our country has to look forward to in the years to come, we are definitely in good hands.
I struggled with another story. I had planned to share about how Ellendale residents rallied around one of their own by hosting a benefit in early December. Their efforts were nothing short of a miracle, but unfortunately the man at the center of the rally, Ralph Diaz, died on Sunday as he awaited a double lung transplant. It’s certainly a sad ending, but I was encouraged by his friends and employees who are taking comfort in knowing he won’t suffer any longer. They also shared a story about how Diaz “squealed with delight” after seeing a video of the rally shortly before his death.
If I could be granted one wish for everyone, it’s simply this: We need to get back to the basics of family, friendship, being kind to one another and treat each other with respect. I hope my holiday gift to you will help you achieve those core values.
Uncertainty is abounding in life right now. But just remember that there is certainty in knowing that God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, into the world thousands of years ago to save us all.
Don’t let the uncertainty of life get the best of you. We can find peace and hope that things will get better. Let’s start by going in hot pursuit of recognizing the good that many people have to offer the rest of us.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!