August 17th.

Today we were supposed to give birth to a baby boy or baby girl. We had imagined that we would hold our baby in our arms for the first time today. We anticipated who he or she would look like. But today was very different than we had imagined back in January. Today, we do not hold our baby in our arms, but rather Jesus does. Yes, we miss our baby. We would have loved to have shared laughs, tears, joys, and sorrows with Jesse. But we know that God works all things together for our good. And so we “praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Today, it is well with our soul. Today, we trust in the Lord, and lean not on our own understanding. He gives, and he takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God gave us a gift, and he took our gift from us for our good. O how sweet the grace that was poured out on the cross for our baby Jesse. And how great it must be for our Jesse to see in full what we only see in part. We have eyes of faith, Jesse has eyes of sight.

O the privilege you have, Jesse, of rising before us; of seeing Jesus face to face. But we miss you everyday. We can’t wait to meet you in Heaven, and greet you with a holy kiss. Love, Dad and Mom.