As 2020 proves tragedy strikes in many ways, author Ron Hutchcraft provides guidance in recovery, no matter the circumstance
EUGENE, Ore., Oct. 8, 2020 – In his first book in more than a decade, Ron Hutchcraft, veteran ministry leader, radio broadcaster, speaker, founder and president of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries and On Eagles' Wings Native American youth outreach, is offering a timely message for everyone who has experienced the hardships of 2020 in “Hope When Your Heart is Breaking: Finding God’s Presence in Your Pain” (Harvest House Publishers, Jan. 7, 2021).
After serving in ministry and life together with his wife and partner Karen for over 50 years, Ron Hutchcraft was devastated in 2016 when she unexpectedly died. Reeling from the loss, he turned to God for strength and comfort, but also chose hope despite the circumstances – somewhat defiantly, even – to be able to move forward. He now seeks to share those lessons with readers of all ages and walks, no matter the tragedy or loss they may be experiencing. The book comes highly recommended, with a foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada and endorsements from the likes of Josh McDowell, Bob Lepine, Joe Battaglia, Janet Parshall, Jerry Jenkins and Will Graham.
“By the nature of my people-helping life’s work, I’ve walked with many through their dark valleys – jobs, marriage, divorce, children, faith, failure, heartbreak – and yes, grief. And I’ve learned about hope what only real life can teach,” Hutchcraft writes. “For hope to overcome despair in life’s dark valleys, it has to be something more than the syrupy, unanchored variety usually offered to us. The hope needs to be as real as the hurt, as strong as the grief and as compelling as the fear. . . Down-to-earth practical and real.”
Hutchcraft offers a definition of this kind of hope that he calls defiant hope: “a buoyant confidence, acknowledging the hurt, but anchored in an unseen but certain reality.” He likens it to a boat riding out a hurricane while anchored in the harbor. It’s tossed to and fro, no doubt, but between the anchor holding it in place and its buoyancy keeping it afloat, the boat is not destroyed.
“A crisis of hope is usually triggered by losing one of our life anchors – a person, financial security, health, job, marriage, independence or just confidence about the future,” Hutchcraft pens, exploring many of the circumstances through which people find themselves in need of hope. Beyond his own journey through grief at his wife’s death, he also shares multiple examples from among his friends and family members who experienced such tragedies, but were able to choose defiant hope in the midst of their losses.
In addition, Hutchcraft describes how a change in perspective can aid in recovering from life’s devastating blows. Hutchcraft points to the benefits that can come from these priority-shifting events. “One question that hope prompts me to ask in my storm is: What really matters in my life – and what doesn’t?” The answers to those kinds of questions can bring hope-filled outcomes from hurt-filled events, he explains.
After a discussion of life’s various hope-robbers – from grief and heartbreak to financial failures, health diagnoses and broken pasts – Hutchcraft applies the hope filter to each circumstance, helping readers to see how asking the big-picture questions can make the losses more bearable and provide opportunities to make hopeful choices.
Hutchcraft concludes by looking at a few of the reactions which may cause us to respond in ways that further diminish hope: fear, anger, desperation, loneliness and impatience. He cautions trying to force progress and urges patience with the process. “I’m starting now to see emerging beauty, both in my soul and in my circumstances, that’s on the other side of the harrowing ride,” he writes. “It’s a beauty we miss if we let our loss lead us into decisions that end up compounding our loss. But if we take that ‘road less traveled,’ and make hopeful decisions, they will lift us to a better place.”
“Hope When Your Heart is Breaking” is available from Harvest House Publishers Jan. 7, 2021. For more information, visit https://hopewhenyourheartisbreaking.com/ and for media resources, visit https://alarryross.com/hope-when-your-heart-is-breaking.
About Ron Hutchcraft
Ron Hutchcraft is a passionate and contemporary evangelist, speaker, author and radio host. As President of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, he and his team specialize in developing authentic, relevant, and creative tools to, as Hutchcraft says, "Bring the lost to the Cross." For more than 30 years, he has been a part of people's daily lives through his popular radio program. "A Word With You®," heard across the country and broadcast internationally in the five most-spoken languages in the world.
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“Hope When Your Heart is Breaking” by Ron Hutchcraft
Available: Jan. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-73698-141-5