The gift

Anandi comes up to me one day shortly after Ivan’s birth and says “Thank you, Mom.” Now when Anandi says that without being polite it usually means trouble. Like “Thank you for the ladybirds I can keep in my room (on a plant, not a in a box!)” or “Thank you for the pack of biscuits I’ve just finished”. So, I suspiciously ask “For what?” She answers, “You know, for the baby.” It has been an amazing journey for us to receive Ivan into our family. We are thankful to finally hold him in our arms. He is very sweet, sleeps most of the night and is growing by the hour it seems – already above 5 kg after 8 weeks. He is also interacting with us with smiles and little noises (loud and impolite ones too!).

As Christmas is nearing I am thinking of the message it proclaims: God gave His Son. I cannot imagine giving my son for anyone, but God gave His Son for everyone. Why would a loving God and Father do that? It was only for love’s sake. He knows each person he created will make mistakes along the way. To stay true to His character He had to punish us. So to save us from His wrath – that we cannot survive – He punished His own Son in our place. I already got my Christmas gift this year, the gift of a son, Ivan. Long ago I accepted the gift from God, His Son, who gave me a new life. I hope you will accept it too.

Thank you for all the letters we received. I hope to reply to each. I am still struggling to find the time and energy to do all I’ve done before Ivan’s birth. But I don’t try too hard, because I love spending time with him. If this letter does not make sense, it’s because a really tired person wrote it J.

“I love these little people;
and it is not a slight thing when they,
who are so fresh from God, love us.”

- Charles Dickens