To Dillon, Yeri, and Karis who love Jesus
Thursday, May 7, 2015.
Dear Dillon, Yeri, and Karis,
This dad said that about 17 years ago, when your older sister Joo-young (Charis) was very sick and hospitalized in the intensive care unit of L.A. Children’s Hospital, he heard on Radio Korea that they were holding a contest for letters to be written to their beloved children, and he wrote a letter titled “To Joo-young who loves Jesus.” At that time, this dad wrote a letter thinking of his beloved baby Joo-young who was on an oxygen mask and couldn’t say anything or even cry in pain. This dad just wanted to express his love to Joo-young. And 17 years have already passed.
The other day, while driving, I happened to tune into a Korean radio station and heard about a contest for letters written to children. After thinking about it for a while, I was inspired this morning during the early morning prayer service. As I prayed for you—Dillon, Yeri, and Karis—before our Heavenly Father, I gained the courage to express my love for you in writing, just as I did for Joo-young about 17 years ago. So now, I am writing a letter to you, titled "To Dillon, Yeri, and Karis, who love Jesus."
My beloved son, Dillon,
You are a precious son to me. After your older sister, Joo-young, fell asleep in my arms, your mom and I were overwhelmed with deep sorrow. When we scattered her ashes, I was in such unbearable pain that I asked your mom to remove all of Joo-young’s photos from our home. Your mom and I longed and prayed earnestly for another child, but for a time, we struggled as no baby was conceived. Then, in God's perfect timing, He blessed us with you. I still remember the exact moment we found out that your mom was pregnant with you. My heart overflowed with gratitude—thankfulness beyond words. After months of anguish following Jooyoung’s passing, your birth became a testimony of God’s restoring love in my life. Through Joo-young, I experienced God’s holy love, and through you, God had mercy on me and gifted us with your precious life. I named you Dillon because the meaning of that name resonated deeply with my heart. Your name means “faithful and truthful”, and I hope you will never forget that. Every day, I pray this prayer: "Heavenly Father, please make our Dillon a faithful and truthful person." And as I pray this for you, I will also strive to be a faithful and truthful father myself.
My beloved daughter, Yeri,
Through you, I have experienced God’s abundant love. I was already deeply grateful when God gave us your older brother, Dillon, as a precious gift. But when He also gifted us with you, I came to understand even more that God’s love is not only holy and restorative, but also abundant. As I prayed and read the Bible after receiving you as a gift, I came across the name "Ephraim", the second son of Joseph. His name means "twice fruitful." Inspired by this meaning, I chose your Korean name, Yeri. If I remember correctly, an elder at church once mentioned that the name Yeri also carries the meaning of abundance in Chinese characters. But I’m sorry—I never confirmed that! Haha. But Yeri, you understand my heart, right? I pray that you will live a twice-fruitful life, experiencing God’s abundant blessings and generously sharing them with others. And as I pray this for you, I will strive to set an example in my own life.
My beloved youngest, Karis,
You bring so much laughter to my life. To my dear Karis, who makes me laugh so often—"Thank you!" When you were born, I couldn’t help but declare, “God is love.” Through your oldest sister, Joo-young (Charis), I experienced God’s holy love; through your brother, Dillon, God’s restoring love; and through your sister, Yeri, God’s abundant love. And when God gifted you to your mom and me, my heart overflowed with the confession: “God is love.” Do you remember how I’ve told you many times why I gave you your English name, Karis? Your name comes from the Greek word for “grace”, just like your oldest sister Joo-young’s English name, Charis—only spelled differently. I wonder if you still remember the day I took you to L.A. Children’s Hospital, where your sister Joo-young was once hospitalized. I showed you the building and told you about her. The reason I named you Karis is because, through your sister’s short life and passing, I experienced God’s overwhelming grace and love, even in the midst of deep sorrow and pain. What else could that be but God’s grace? That’s why I wanted to give you the same name. Karis, do you remember what I taught you? “Sharing is caring.” Inspired by this, I even titled my Naver blog “Sharing is Caring,” where I share my reflections on Scripture with many people. And just as I strive to share with joy, I pray that you, too, will live a life of sharing. I pray every day that as you grow, you will recognize the abundant grace God pours into your life, be deeply moved by it, and live a life of sharing His grace and love with others. And as I pray for you, I will also strive to live joyfully, sharing all that God gives me.
My Dear Dillon, Yeri, and Karis, who love Jesus,
This is the prayer your dad lifts up to our Heavenly Father:
“Abba Father, God, thank You. T hank You for blessing us with the precious gift of four children. Above all, we are deeply grateful that through them, You have revealed Your love to us.
We dedicate these children to You, Lord. While they are with us for a short time on this earth, we recognize that they have been entrusted to us for a season. As we prepare to release them into the world, may we faithfully fulfill the responsibility of raising them. And as we prepare for the day when we, too, will leave this world, may we nurture them with that eternal perspective in mind.
Use us as Your instruments, Lord, so that these children—whom You have graciously given to us—may grow into Christ-centered visionaries leaders, dedicated to expanding Your Kingdom.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.”