The story of Hansel and Gretel spooked me as a child.

Imagine being abandoned deep in a forest by your parents, being captured by a cannibalistic witch, having to escape her clutches by killing her, then having to find your way out of the dense woods.

But young Hansel was clever. He overheard his parents’ scheme and came prepared. Hiding a piece of bread in his pocket, he dropped crumbs in the forest so he could lead his sister home.

This world is like that deep, dark forest. It’s scary. It’s disorienting. We can feel abandoned. There are enemies. And without a path, a light, or clues, we easily lose our way.

Like everyone else, I’m in this forest and slowly working my way home, following the trail of breadcrumbs left by others who went before me. And I want to leave my own trail of breadcrumbs – for my kids especially, but for others as well.

This blog is a tiny part of that. As I write, I want to lead people “home.” A place of comfort in a harsh world. A bed of rest from the exhaustion of life. A harbor of hope from a storm-tossed sea. The light of joy in the darkness of sorrow. Those can only be found in Jesus.