Good Gifts

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Lydia has been really sick. She, like her mother, has a tendency to have the slightest bug really affect her breathing. By the time we got her to the doctor today, she was really bad. She would start coughing and wouldn't stop. She was breathing so shallow (to avoid coughing) that her blood oxygen levels were really low. Also, she basically hadn't eaten in two days so she was really weak. It was pretty pitiful. So they drew blood and did X rays and prescribed several medications (for both her and Laura-she has it too).

And doing this stuff hurt her. They inflicted pain to draw blood. Doing the tests made her uncomfortable and even make her cough more. In her mind it didn't make sense.

The doctor suggested I get her some popsicles, so when I went shopping, I made a trip to the popsicle section. To be honest, I was really excited. Yea, I know this is strange, but there is something about giving gifts to your kids that is really beyond anything I have experienced. And I knew that she would love this gift AND the doctor said it would be good for her.

Hold that thought.

Lydia also loves milk. And, although she hasn't eaten, she asks for milk all the time. So here is this sick girl, who I love, who keeps asking, "Daddy, many I have some milk please?" [It is so cute]. But here is the thing: when she gets this cough thing, milk is not good for her.

It's not that milk is bad. In fact, at a different time in her life, heck, even next week, she can have all the milk she wants. It's good for her. I want her to drink milk.

But not now.

For now I know... as I see a bigger picture.... that as much as I would love to give her what she asks for (even if what she asks for is good)... I know that right now, it is not the best thing for her.

And this doesn't make any sense to her.

And I don't want people inflicting pain on my daughter. I really don't. I can't tell you how it hurt me to watch her cry. (Both her mom and I were crying.) And it makes no sense to her that the pain will make her stronger. She doesn't understand.

But I love her that much.

You can draw your own conclusions.

By the way, she and her mother are on the mend.