Couple delivers Christmas Day baby on side of road

Taylor and Hannah Lindeman were rushing to a hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota on Christmas Day. After her water broke, they were forced to pull over to the side of the highway to wait for an ambulance. Their baby “had other plans,” however, as Hannah later told a reporter.

She gave birth to a daughter in the car’s front passenger seat. A police officer arrived shortly after the birth and tied off the umbilical cord with a shoelace from Hannah’s boot. The couple expects to return home today.

As a father of two, I cannot imagine the stress these parents felt. But their momentary travail led to joy beyond description.

In other news, US retail holiday sales jumped 4.9 percent this year, the largest increase since 2011. Total sales are on track to reach $671 billion. This was bad news for overworked store clerks and online sales staff but good news for retailers and their shareholders.

In coming days, however, consumers will return about $90 billion worth of goods. But even that news is good news for FedEx and UPS, which are trying to get a bigger slice of the pie for deliveries and returns.

“How to think like a medieval monk”

So much of life is perspective. While I certainly believe in absolute truth and objective morality, I also know that the attitude we bring to the events of our lives is enormously significant.

From physicians to pastors, anyone who works with hurting people soon learns that the way they approach their pain can either increase their suffering or infuse it with redemptive purpose. Across four decades of Christian ministry, I have witnessed astounding courage and resilience in the face of overwhelming challenges. But I also know hurting people who have turned from God in anger and despair.

Clearly, difficulties make some people bitter and other people better.

Over the Christmas break, I read a fascinating article by Julia Bourke titled “How to Think Like a Medieval Monk.” She reports that a common practice for monks…