Dear Santa, I know you’re super busy. Heaven knows, you have approximately 1.9 billion children in the world to worry about. But I wanted to bring a few kids to your attention. If you have time.
First off, please help Sophie (13), who is losing her hearing. Right now, her mother is taking her to UF Health Shands Hospital, in Gainesville, Florida. And everyone is worried.
Sophie’s mother is Deaf, and uses Cochlear implants. The deafness is a genetic issue, and now Sophie is going through hearing problems. Sophie’s mother writes:
“Would you please pray that doctors can stop Sophie’s hearing loss and even restore what’s been lost?”
If anyone can help her, you can, Santa. And when you’re finished helping her, please help Jayden (15).
Jayden’s lungs are giving him problems. The doctors aren’t giving him a good prognosis. In fact, they’re giving him bad news.
“I just want to be a normal kid,” he writes to me. “I just want to breathe normal again.”
Visit Jayden, will you Santa? Give him special attention. And if you have time after that, please help Kirsten (12). Kirsten’s mother has never married, Santa, because her mother has been taking care of Kirsten’s ailing grandmother for many years.
“After my grandma’s stroke, my mom and me moved into the house, and my mom dropped out of college, and all she does is take care of Grandma.”
Kirsten’s mother has accompanied her grandmother for every bathroom break, administered every shower, and tucked her mother into bed every night.
As a result, Kirsten’s mom has never lived a life of her own.
“Please pray for my mom to have a good Christmas, she deserves it.”
So if you’re reading this, Santa, help her. And when you’re through helping Kirsten’s mom, please send some love to my friend Mason.
Mason is 24, living in Hoboken, New Jersey. He might not be a kid, Santa, but he is going to ask a young woman to marry him, but he is nervous because this woman has three children. Mason is afraid that he won’t be up to the challenge of raising three kids.
“I love them,” writes Mason, “but I’m so young, and I’m scared. I don’t want to be a bad dad.”
So help Mason, Santa. Give him a Christmas miracle. Then, fly over to California and help Stuart and Carly.
Stuart and Carly have a newborn child who is blind. The child’s name is Cory. The young parents are both very excited about being parents, Santa, but they are also frightened that they are not going to be able do what it takes to help their little Cory through life.
“I will do anything for my baby,” says Carly. “But I just don’t know if I’m qualified to be a mother. I am terrified.”
If anyone can help them, you can, Santa. Give them hope. Give them a sign. I don’t care what you do, just help them know they aren’t alone.
Then, zip over to the Midwest and help Kendra (11), the young woman in Kansas City. She is going to be placed in a foster home this week, maybe even adopted, Santa. And she is frightened.
“What if they don’t like me?” Kendra writes. “What if they don’t want me?”
And help Briget, who is getting married tonight, as I write this. She is the recipient of a recent heart transplant, Santa. The mother of Briget’s deceased donor is going to be at the wedding service, sitting in the front row. The older woman will be watching her late son’s heart walk down the aisle.
It will be a bittersweet ceremony, laced with earth-shaking emotions. Give them all something wonderful tonight, Santa. Make their wedding a true success. Help them find joy. Help them feel a powerful love.
In fact, help us all, Santa. Help us humans to see that Christmas isn’t about cheap presents and layaway plans and flat-screen TVs and truly crappy Hallmark Channel movies.
Christmas, no matter what anyone says, is about Advent. And Advent is really just a Latin word for “Adventus,” which means “arrival.” The arrival of God on Earth. Meaning: God gives a dang about you.
You matter to the universe. You matter to God. Yes, you. You don’t have to do anything special to win Heaven’s love. You don’t have to pray a magic prayer. You don’t have to do a magic tapdance. You don’t have to be accepted into any special club. You’re already his favorite human being. God is already your biggest fan.
Santa already knows this to be true. I hope, someday, you will know it, too.
So good luck at your doctor appointment, Sophie.
32 comments
Melissa Brown - December 18, 2022 7:11 am
God Bless you dear Sean !!!
Gordon Walden - December 18, 2022 9:41 am
I am always blessed by what you write!
Trent - December 18, 2022 10:02 am
God Bless Them – Every Single One!
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
Trudy - December 18, 2022 11:23 am
I prayed for each person you wrote about as I read their names and I prayed for you and Jamie, also. May God bless you all. Merry Christmas.
Sending love from North Carolina.
Ginga Smithfield - December 18, 2022 11:27 am
Merry Christmas and thank you,Sean, for your “Dear Santa” letter! Thank you for reminding me that I matter, we all matter to our Heavenly Father!
Anne Arthur - December 18, 2022 12:58 pm
Praying for miracles for all those who are suffering. May they get to know God’s love and find strength and healing.
Becky Moon - December 18, 2022 11:43 am
Every day your writing touches my heart. I thank God for you and for your past which has given you a unique opportunity to understand others and share your compassion.
John Blakely - December 18, 2022 12:07 pm
AMEN !!!!!!
C Alan Martin - December 18, 2022 12:28 pm
No words, but thank you, and prayers for Sophie and all on your precious list.
Ruth - December 18, 2022 12:52 pm
Well said Becky! Keep up the good work Sean of telling these important stories of real life.
Linda Lewis - December 18, 2022 1:22 pm
Absolutely and Amen!
mccutchen52 - December 18, 2022 1:28 pm
Hope every one has a Very Merry Christmas and may Santa take care of all your wishes.
Priscilla Rodgers - December 18, 2022 1:31 pm
I’m teaching my Sunday school class this morning and I’ve studied so hard hoping not to forget something and you just made it so simple. Thank you. It’s about the message of love.
Deacon Nick - December 18, 2022 1:53 pm
Sean, excellent as usual!! Reminder, Our Father has over 8 billion souls at this time in salvation history to worry about, not to mention all the souls who have been born, or will be born until time ceases. Have a Blessed Advent. 🙏🙏🙏
Layne R Unruh - December 18, 2022 2:08 pm
We are blessed by your talent and heart
Bobbie - December 18, 2022 2:53 pm
God speaks to us in ways we don’t expect, but at times when so needed. Sean, you were the bearer of His Words this morning.
Don’t know why, but Sundays are hard for me. Just before reading your post, I was in tears praying for God’s forgiveness for so many things over the years. Then it was like the Lord was replying …. Yes, I DO care about you! He uses whatever and whoever to get thru to us. Thank you Sean for your words. You are special to God. You have no idea the people you touch!!
May He bless each one you’ve mentioned…each child who is in need, each parent who needs You Lord, now more than ever, to know how to care for their child. God bless them, and God bless you and Jamie. He’s given you both a special calling. 💖
David - December 18, 2022 2:57 pm
Thank you Sean. Just thank you for caring for folks!
Pubert Earle Bozemann - December 18, 2022 3:05 pm
Sean, not sure where you get all this stuff, but you sure bring it home to roost! And we all think that we have problems. Keep spreading the light!
Your friend,
Pubert
Debbie - December 18, 2022 3:21 pm
Thank you Sean. Prayers for all
And love you Sean and Jamie
Prayers for y’all too
Love to everyone. Pass it on
Marilyn - December 18, 2022 4:03 pm
Hello Sean,
You’ve opened our minds to a few of the many hurting souls in this world. Each one of us is only one but collectively we are many. If each one holds out the hope of God and His unseen Hand, the world can be a brighter place. We may never understand the reason for it all yet Peace can be ours. My desire is to know God and reflect His…
Faith
Trust
Humility
Surrender
Kindness
Forgiveness
Giving
Love ❤️
And be filled with Prayer 🙏🏼
And share the plan of salvation
We have Heaven to gain; Hell to shun.
A wonderful Christmas to everyone!
Patricia Gibson - December 18, 2022 4:37 pm
Prayers for all these people and all those in need! I do like some of the Hallmark movies though! Merry Christmas!!
Bobbie Coker - December 18, 2022 6:54 pm
Sean. I have been a follower of yours for a long time, but I have never commented. Not because I didn’t want to, but I am a 75 year young great grandmother and I’m not much of a tech whiz. This post says it all, but the post “this I know” was a message from above
My youngest daughter had been called back to her doctor’s office because of a spot on her mammogram. My family has a lot of cancer, so she was really afraid. I sent her the post. She read it while waiting for further tests to be done. She had survived a terrible auto accident years before that nearly killed her and she already knew Who saved her. This post assured her that Jesus, indeed, loved her so. The test showed no cancer
lanier harris - December 18, 2022 8:32 pm
Merry Christmas to you Sean! The best of the season to you and yours. Thank you for your daily gift to us.
Betty Slayden - December 18, 2022 11:17 pm
Dear Sean, My name is Betty Slayden, Nashville, TN. My daughter, Kym, Birmingham, AL introduced her parents to you and I am a daily follower. Part of my morning routine is to read your post and as is my custom on many things I receive, I have a Sean Dietrich folder and I move all your posts to that folder. Why? Not sure, but I always think I may go back and reread, and maybe I will. Way before I started reading you, Kym kept saying, mom you need to read Sean of the South, he is really good and I know you would like him. Well one day I did read and I have been hooked ever since my first read. You were at the Franklin Theater a few weeks ago and we were there with our friends Joe and Janice. You were great, you were funny, you were entertaining, and we enjoyed the evening. Loved meeting your dog on stage. We sat in the balcony and won 4 tickets (if we understood correctly two of the seats were seats you and your wife had sat in once when you were there. So now I want to get to a question I have for you. I am 81 years old and have ARMD (age related macular degeneration). The jest of that is that most of the time I struggle with my eyes. One of my biggest struggles is reading things in normal font rather than BOLD font. It makes such a difference when the print is in bold. So here is my question for you. Would it be possible for you to do your posts in BOLD. Not sure what all that means on your end, but if it is possible I don’t think I would be the only one to benefit. If you can that would be so helpful. But don’t worry, if you can’t I won’t stop reading your posts. It will just take a little longer. I sort of can’t believe I have just asked this of you but I have learned in life that if you don’t ask it definitely won’t happen, but if you do ask there is a 50-50 chance it could happen.
M-E-R-R-Y C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
pattymack43 - December 19, 2022 12:52 am
Thank you for this message! You can be sure there will be many prayers going up for all of these wonderful people!!Christmas Blessings to you and Jaime!!
conkledavid - December 19, 2022 2:44 am
Thank you Sean
suzi - December 19, 2022 2:45 am
“For unto us a child is born.”
Thank you God
Stacey Wallace - December 19, 2022 4:03 am
May God bless all these people and meet their needs. I know He will. Thanks, Sean. Love to you, Jamie, and Marigold.
Patricia Stanfield - December 19, 2022 1:14 pm
Amen.
Lisa Heileman a.k a. Goody Claus - December 19, 2022 7:52 pm
May the Child whose reason it is for the season, hear and answer Sean’s prayers. Unfortunately, although his nearly 1753 year old heart goes out to these families, Santa’s magic lies in granting toys and increasingly, electronic boons. Santa would pray that the hearing and health be restored to those ailing along side you.
Rebekah - December 20, 2022 3:45 am
Sean, have you ever watched Nate from East Idaho News deliver the Secret Santa gifts at Christmas? It is the only other thing I know of on the internet that’s like your column. Tear-jerker, feel-good stories that warm your heart and leave you feeling hopeful for humanity. The biggest difference is, your stories come year-round and theirs only come at Christmas. But it is SO heart-warming to watch this Secret Santa give away life-changing gifts to needy and deserving people in Idaho. Search on Youtube for “Idaho Secret Santa” and it should come up. But have your tissue box nearby!
Nancy G. - December 20, 2022 11:43 pm
God bless you and yours, Sean, with a beautiful, peaceful Christmas and New Year. God bless us, everyone.