This week, a boy in Ottawa celebrated his 11th birthday. That may not be a remarkable achievement for most kids, but for Tyler Huneault, it was a huge milestone. Tyler is believed to be the only person in all of North America suffering from a rare disease that few children survive. For 11 years now, Tyler has lived with sialidosis, a disease so rare, few in the medical community know about. “Not only had I not heard of it, the person diagnosing it had not heard of it,” says Tyler’s mother, Ida Ryan. It’s a genetic disorder — more specifically, a lysosomal storage disorder — marked by the absence of a key digestive enzyme called sialidase. Without the enzyme, bones and muscles can’t grow properly and organs such as the liver and brain grow abnormally large. Before Tyler’s first birthday, his parents saw the symptoms of the disease. His head had grown too large and his bones were weak. When his mother put him in a baby seat nine days after birth, he squeaked, probably from pain, she now says. The disease has left Tyler much smaller than normal; he has fragile bones and problems with his liver and lungs. Most recently, his kidneys shut down and he now needs dialysis four times a week. This past fall, Tyler even got sick with swine flu. He was on a respirator for 12 days and spent almost a month in hospital. “That was a big battle. It was a year of big challenges,” says his mom. “You take it one day at a time… one day at a time.” Tyler is feisty fighter, attending Grade 5 …

When this vineyard was found in a remote island it was discovered to be of a rare variety. It appears as though it produces eight different varieties of the same fruit. It was also found that it will grow anywhere. All its seeds can grow in properly prepared soil. To some, the fruit is bitter and to others, it is very sweet. It comes in clusters of the eight varieties. It is very good for everyone’s health. It can cure many incurable diseases. This is the break that we have been looking for. These vines are being grown all over the world. It is ready for market. The sweet fragrance it gives off is sure to delight you. It takes a special Vine Dresser to keep it flourishing. He is on duty 24/7 to tend to it.

The rare vineyard that was found on the remote island is Jesus and His followers. The remote island is a place out in the middle of “the seas of life” where Christians are living for Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord. The Vine is the Lord Jesus Christ. The branches are those who abide in Jesus and He in them. The eight varieties of the vine is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is found in Galatians 5:22, 23. This is the love of God expressed in eight different ways. God’s vineyard can grow anywhere He plants it. God the Father is the vine dresser that is on duty 24/7. The market is anywhere a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is offered. Those who have a bitter taste in their mouths after they taste it, are those who reject the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have a sweet taste in their mouths after they taste it, are those who allow Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior. The sweet fragrance represents the good things God’s people do for others around the world. The incurable diseases are the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21. To grow this vineyard, the “ground” must be free from things that keep God out of our lives. That is, we must be willing to let God be God to us at all times if the Word of God is going to take root and grow in our lives. Without Jesus Christ, we can do nothing.

In John 15:5, Jesus tells us, “I am the Vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing.” Jesus tells us He is the Vine. He is the root and stem of the plant. If we are not rooted in Jesus we are none of His. We are the branches. A branch must be attached to the vine to live. Before we were attached to Jesus we were “dead in trespasses and sins.” We were ready to be tossed in the “fire and be burned.” When we remain in Jesus and He remains in us, we bring forth fruit. The fruit is the fruit of the Spirit I told about above. Some bring forth thirty-, others sixty-, while others bring forth one hundred-fold. There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian. The relationship here is, Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches.