FROM THE PRESIDENT T. HARDIE
2020, a year to forget! Or so we are tempted as we try to emerge from a year that brought disruption and inconvenience, at a minimum, but more commonly hardship, anxiety, physical and emotional pain, and even despair.
2020 was hard on so many levels, and the hardship of that year has now even rolled into 2021. We want what we remember was normal, but we are now becoming accustomed to the idea that normal is no longer definable. So, we are now resolved that we must learn from, and not forget, the experience of 2020.
Throughout all of this we observed, and continue to observe today, how creative, resilient, determined, loving, brave and compassionate our partners are in North Texas and around the world, always putting the interests of others ahead of their own and seeking the welfare of the communities in which they serve.
Every partner looked at their respective challenges and stepped up, dropping old plans, adopting new ones, cutting costs where possible, finding new revenue sources, always sacrificing, never complaining, never quitting. This summary highlights some of them. In every case, their question always seemed to be, “what is needed and is there something we can do about it”.
And one last thing. We saw the presence of our Lord in the midst of it all. He doesn’t promise freedom from trials or suffering, but He does promise to be there, and we saw Him everywhere. The battle is not over, sadly, as 2021 continues to remind. But we are uplifted, encouraged, and strengthened in our resolve to continue serving Him through our partners who continue to serve those who bear His image and enjoy His love.
