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Lynnette Kraft

Author: Lynnette Kraft

  • He Heard Hannah – The 911 Call That Saved the Dispatcher’s Life

    He Heard Hannah – The 911 Call That Saved the Dispatcher’s Life

    Today, November 19th, is the fourteen-year anniversary of Anna’s death. It’s hard to believe it’s been fourteen years since we sat together in our living room, heartbroken — wondering how we would survive without her.

    Anna had gotten sick in the middle of the night. I assumed she had a stomach bug; I hoped that was all it was. I was up with her, holding her hair away from her face as she vomited. I bathed her in an attempt to ease her discomfort. While she was in the tub, I tried to distract her by talking about Christmas, which was just around the corner. It worked for a while.

    When she was out of the tub and dressed in her jammies, I crawled into her bed, next to her older sister, Cecily, who was sleeping peacefully. I propped myself up on some pillows and had Anna lie against me so I could attempt to calm her racing heart. I stroked her hair and prayed for her.

    “I feel so much better now,” she said, bringing comfort to my fearful heart.

    Less than an hour later, Anna went into cardiac arrest.

    Courtney Becker was the 911 dispatcher whose calm voice guided my husband as we attempted to revive Anna with CPR and waited for the ambulance. A train was in the path. Fourteen minutes passed before they finally arrived—the longest distress call of Courtney’s career.

    Anna died that morning.

    Our lives were crushed. Our hearts were broken. Little did we know, Courtney’s heart grieved too. My husband’s pleas into the phone for Anna, breathless from panic, made Courtney think our daughter’s name was Hannah. Hannah was his own young daughter’s name. His heart was early engaged on that fourteen minute emergency call.

    God was at work behind the scenes. Our families had never met and wouldn’t for many more years, but God was bonding us in a way we never would have expected. Anna’s death played a significant role in Courtney’s journey toward hope.

    Four years later, through a series of events, we met Courtney and his family and we grew to love the Beckers. Courtney and Anna were connected in ways I still don’t fully understand, and it all began that dreadful morning when we all lost something precious. A life.

    Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

    He Heard Hannah, The 911 Call That Saved the Dispatcher’s Life, is the book that tells our story. The book is currently out of print, but the second edition is in the works! 

    UPDATE: The 2nd edition is now here! Available online everywhere!

  • Thirteen Years Later – Remembering Grief

    Thirteen Years Later – Remembering Grief

    On November 19th, 2004, my six-year-old daughter, Anna, let go of her last breath. In the weeks following, I felt like I was dying too. My heart was utterly broken.

    During that season of grief, I remember saying, There is no greater pain. If I can survive this, I can survive anything. But… I didn’t really think I’d survive. I feared I was changed forever and wouldn’t ever be quite happy again. That fear, alongside my sorrow, was all consuming.

    What made me want to try… to attempt to move beyond the grief… was my other beloved children. Kyle and I grieved as adults, but our five children grieved too. They not only lost their sister, but they lost the comfort and consolation of their parents’ strength and stability, which broke my heart into even more pieces. Their sorrow is what gave me the courage to heal. I would heal for them.

    It’s been thirteen years.

    November always brings back that memory of grief. I swear there is something in the air that reminds me of it. I woke yesterday and felt Anna. I thought about her. I longed for her. I hurt for a moment and my eyes welled up. But then almost as soon as I ached, I rejoiced, because remembering that grief, reminded me that it had passed long ago. I then remembered my own words, “There is no greater pain. If I can survive this, I can survive anything,” and I felt fearless for a moment. God had performed the miracle of healing my broken heart.

    When I got out of bed and went about my day, I mentioned my solemn, yet meaningful morning to my girls. We talked about the lasting effects of grief and how Novembers seem to somehow carry the leftovers of the sorrow. Abigail, who is an adult now, but was only eleven when Anna died, told me that she woke up from a sad dream… a dream where I had died. She started to fight back tears and couldn’t go into the details. I was reminded that we all have some scars, but along with those scars are memories of God’s power and protection over us. We have healed and grown together.

    God’s promise to my family (and to every other grieving heart) was and is “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” If God brings something into our lives, he does something with it. He uses it. He uses us.

    “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

    It takes faith and courage to believe that when you’re grieving. But when you’re already at your lowest, what do you have to lose?

    “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

    Today is December 1st and to me, it’s more than a new month. It’s a symbol of passing grief and restored hope. Yesterday was a day of reflection.

    Today is a day of expectancy.

    “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

    We can’t forget all of the pains of the past, nor should we. For in reflection there is a greater appreciation for the peaceful days. Those memories help put all of life in perspective.

    *Psalm 147:3, Joshua 29:11, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 16:11

  • That Door Labeled – INTIMIDATING

    That Door Labeled – INTIMIDATING

    I’ve been to Los Angeles a few times, but you don’t have to have been to LA to know how bad the traffic can be. So, I wasn’t too excited about driving there myself. I prefer the chauffeur method.

    But I did it. I drove to LA.

    I also drove on Hollywood Boulevard on a Sunday with droves of people crossing every intersection. And if you knew about my deep and abiding love for pedestrians and my anxiety over potentially witnessing one’s death due to an inattentive driver, you might understand how daunting this could be for a Lynnette.

    While in Hollywood, I (and my 10 year old, Harry) parked in a shady-looking parking garage. It felt dangerous, which made us giggle nervously and walk quickly as we searched for the pedestrian exit, which happened to be at the other end of an obscure alley.

    Now, I realize that some people do this kind of thing every day. But not this girl. I grew up in a small town in Kansas, where traffic isn’t really traffic at all, people don’t usually walk anywhere and crowds only come out for holiday shopping and events.

    But I do like to challenge myself, and sometimes I force myself to open and step through that door labeled, Intimidating. Once I do, it’s never as bad as I feared it would be, and in the end I usually feel like I’ve pulled my feet out of the mud they were stuck in. I feel braver about taking more unfamiliar paths.

    While in LA, I continually asked myself… What can I see that I’ve never seen before? What can I do that I’ve never done before? It wasn’t only about the big feats, like driving on a six-lane highway for the first time. It was also about the little things–like drinking watermelon infused water and eating Japanese ramen for the first time.

    It was about walking through, perhaps, the messiest bookstore in existence…

    and discovering a vending machine that dispensed down jackets for $70.

    Each day of our lives we are given opportunities. Some days are meant to be spent at home– serving, creating, laboring, resting. Other days are meant to be spent on the go– shopping, working, meeting. But the days that are out of the ordinary–the stretching days–those are the ones that have the most potential for cultivating something fresh and new inside of us, because experiences give us more confidence, and confidence gives us courage to explore those untouched places of our potential.

    It’s important to embrace, expand, and explore what’s there for us to see–to experience life from different angles and different places.

    Who knows when we might have the opportunity to play chess (or do handstands) on a board the size of a small lawn…

    or listen to remarkably unique street performers…

    or eat the best apple fritter we’ve ever had…

    or even stop to take a great picture in that obscure alley that you nervously hurried through on the way out.

    Who knows what delightful experiences lie on the other side of that door labeled, Intimidating.