“Grounds for Insanity” and Praise
I’d told it before, how The Mister, he’d preach (“you should be writing!”). How I would resist with some snark and some sass. How all of a sudden, a door. In the paper!
When it all first began, it was 2007. The Schrocklets were 1, 9, 14 and 18 (or almost). Week after week after jam-packed-full week, I’d leave early for three mornings to write at the coffee shop. Then I’d collect Bubby from Daddy’s office, rush home and start my day job (medical transcription). All of that while feeding boys, raising boys and doing laundry.
In the early days, the column had no name. It simply appeared every week, Monday edition, page three, under this: Rhonda Schrock, Columnist. Then one day, a “chance” remark that really wasn’t, a series of messages and a high-level meeting. With a high-level person somewhere else.
It was there in that meeting that he looked at me and said, “You’ve got to get a name for your column. Do this, this and this and make it happen.” So I did, and you helped, and we nailed it. And that’s how that all came about.
In 2012, another door opened. For approximately two years, “Grounds” appeared in a quarterly magazine, “Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living,” a magazine targeted to Plain People. And every once in a blue moon above a windswept Kansas prairie, “Grounds” would go home to my roots, The Hutch News .
Just as God led me in, all surprising, the day came when He led me back out. I was ready. Seven years is a long time to write weekly, and only His power sustained it. So when He said, “Let’s rest,” I said the “yes.” And I did, and it’s been good, simply living.
And now. Just as He led me in first, then back out, a door’s opened up. I’m back in. Not in the pages of a paper, but in another magazine.
Starting in January, “Grounds for Insanity” will be featured in the monthly magazine, Just Plain Values. It is, again, a publication targeting the Amish people. The company produces four editions; one each for Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michiana and one nationally. “Grounds” will run in all four. With a combined total of over 200,000 readers, it is by far the biggest venue I’ve had yet.
The thought of introducing our family to an audience that large is a bit overwhelming. Mr. Schrock, when he heard it, said, “That’s more than a stadium.” Followed by this from Boy Three (Inspector Gadget): “Obama can’t even fill a stadium these days.” Uh-huh.
What’s greater, though, than that is knowing that all of the hope and humor, the encouragement and truth, the wit and wisdom and comfort and love that make “Grounds” what it is, will be delivered to the Amish (and others) across the country.
Who can say where revival should begin? Who can know where their gifts should be used? Who can declare who is worthy to hear the Gospel of Christ and His love?
Only God, and we here all say, “Yes!” And amen.
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