Happy Birthday, Bethany Joan Marie, August 2nd

 Bethany loved her nurse Ida, and Ida adored her. Ida's estate included a lot of Bethany photos and portraits, and we inherited them.

Nothing is quite like falling into the cauldron of rare disorders in children. Ordinary doctors are useless. Specialists wonder how they can experiment. Most friends and relatives drop away, but new friends and new families by adoption develop. Mark 10:29-30.

Bethany had to endure the novelty of her disorder, which was never diagnosed. The Cleveland Clinic threw her records away, which is just one of their misdeeds. However, Bethany was the vanguard of our assault against indifference, malpractice, and dealing with various bureaucracies. I told Christina, "You are like Scarlet in Gone With the Wind. I pity the soldier who captures you."

 Bethany loved the camera and had perfect vision, so getting a great photo was easy.

We had two friends in the same section of the PhD program in theology at Notre Dame. One dealt with his daughter's many neurological problems, and both of them succumbed to cancer. The other lost his sister, who had a rare disorder. The experiences changed our perspective entirely, so those LCA leaders who feigned faith became a relentless goad. But those other Lutheran leaders, who pretended to be Scriptural and superior to the LCA, coveted the LCA and clamored to be the same. The difference? - honest aposates versus lying apostates, all studying together at Fuller, Willow Creek, and Trinity Divinity.

Bethany grew stronger and could proper herself up on her elbows, but losing that ability meant neurological degeneration.

Bethany and Erin, who shared a room at one time, showed that nothing material really mattered. Threats were empty. Some of the worldly wise enjoyed being especially nasty and indifferent, but they were outweighed by another group of people. For them, Bethany and Erin were the Rosetta Stone that translated all of life. Both girls were as weak and helpless as a child could be, not even able to roll over. But they were very alert, took in everything, understood and responded to those who loved them, talked to them, and told funny stories about them.

 The natural blonde curls suggested her nickname everywhere - Angel. Her eyes always followed the camera, which was contrary to her diagnosis.

When Bethany did not like her squash, she spit it into Ida's face. Ida loved telling us that story, and Bethany loved hearing it. They had many games and jokes together, a heavenly joy since Ida had her own mysterious disability. That limited Ida's ability in this world but enhanced her communication with Bethany. So what if 99% looked down on both of them, if the Good Shepherd watched over both.

I told one couple that situations like this are energizing rather than crippling, when understood correctly. Most people go through life measuring things by material goals, which is natural with so many metrics about happiness based on cars, phones, homes, and titles. When McDonalds youthful staff smirked at my Town Car - only Sassy's window could roll down - I said, "Don't laugh. This car is older than you are, and it's paid for."

What matters the most, the highly regarded treasures on earth or the eternal treasures revealed to us?