Ethan: 0:00

Raising joyful children in an angry world, a podcast dedicated to faithful parents navigating their families through a stormy culture

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This weekend, the Sunday Times, in a section called the Editor's Choice, shared a story written by a young woman named L. Daniel. It's a story that she starts off with from Christmas a year ago, and it is a journey that she and her husband have been on as they discover their daughter has a rare disease, a life threatening rare disease. She starts off by telling how around Christmas time last year, her daughter was not feeding well. And so she goes back to the hospital and they say, Oh, it's your anxiety. Relax. She knows something's wrong, but she takes the advice and she switches to formula, but it did not help. So she goes back to doctors, back and forth. She kept. Feeling inside there's something wrong. And after a great amount of time, finally at a very high end hospital, she first has to have her daughter's liquids removed because of this, this rare disease in her life has saved. And then she discovers that this actually is a rare disease that is life threatening. I can't read the story, but I can share a section. She says this. This is not the motherhood I imagined, but it is the one I was meant for. And while it has taken me to the depths of sorrow, within those depths, it has shown me a capacity for love that I could never possibly have fathomed before. And as the challenge mounts, I can now say, bring it on because I know that my heart has been swelled not only by love, but by courage, man, that's a perspective. And she kind of throws this thing out there where I didn't choose this situation, but Ruby chose me to be her mother. And then it describes, and this was really the point of her article, she and her husband started a movement in Europe called Go Rare. You can find it on the, on the web. And it is to support and raise awareness for research and pharmaceutical companies to cure rare diseases, because it's not the most profitable thing to do. She never denies the difficulty, but she gives a perspective on this that I think fits into the Christmas season. See, we enter into Christmas and the joy, the celebration, and there's nothing like giving your kid. Every once in a while you give that thing to your child that they really love. And man, it just strikes up a nice feeling in your own heart. But there's something about El's story that addresses another gift. I believe it's the gift that every parent wants to give their kids, actually wants God to. And that's the heart that loves, that's filled with courage and kindness and encouragement and respect. It's the ability to have a perspective on life, to face challenges and difficulties. This is the most important gift that goes with their salvation gift. And man, it takes years of messy growing up to see it. All I can tell you is if you're ever blessed enough to be a grandparent and you see your child's love for their children, that's about when you get the clearest view that the gift has been given. This capacity for these virtues and this blessings that are in this story regarding the heart. Those are the gifts that the Lord gives. And for the Christian family, I think it's great. We all want them to be wise. We want them to discover their talents. We want them to be successful in their calling, but having a heart that's loving, respectful, courageous, and encouraging. That's what the Savior brings. And that's why I think this story was presented, and I hope it reminds us of this mystery of our gift giving God. I think too often Christianity, even in the Christmas season, it's presented like a lawyer convincing a jury of the facts that he or she hopes the jury will believe to get a decision. Or it's seen as a set of decisions and actions like attending law school, go to college, take the LSATs, enter law school, pass a bar. Like some sort of scholastic track, the heart. That needs God, virtue, and faith, and love. It's not based on information, or human persuasion, or some scholastic achievement track. It's not making a good decision, or learning from your mistakes, and getting a second chance. All this sort of meritorious stuff. Now, you have to understand we're powerless. And God, knowing our powerless condition, sent the only power that can take our sin, kill the old nature, breathe life into the new nature, give a new heart, and reshape our minds and our hearts. For our kids and for ourselves, Jesus came himself to rescue us and to give us all of this. And that's the Christmas story. If you do nothing else this Christmas, pay honor to the power of that gift that God gave. Experience a taste of what it's like to give a great gift when you give one to your children. Because these gifts, they're not based on being naughty and nice, but they're on the heart of the giver. And in our case, the heart of Jesus comes to give us hearts that are filled with his love. And as you go into 2025 and you, you go through your scripture and you're learning things like, have no other gods before me, the first commandment, or to love God in your neighbor, the two commandments that Jesus gives. It's because our God is the only power capable of putting the love of God and everything that he deems virtuous into the heart of your children. Ah, this hard stuff, it takes time, as I said, it's not easy, but I'll say it one more time. If you're blessed enough to see your children grow up and get to watch them love their children, you will receive a Christmas blessing that is like no other. The ultimate battle for the heart and soul is a fight for identity. Our king invites our kids to know who they are, what to believe, and where they belong. Until next time, let's remember the words for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.