Today is our son, Elijah John’s one year birthday. This morning as I prayed and reflected a swirl of emotions filled me. Certainly many are absolute joy . . . but I couldn’t help be taken back to his birth one year ago today.

Here is my journal entry from exactly one year ago:

We received a call yesterday afternoon that Baby Elijah would be born last night. Very exciting. Lots of prayer. Just received a call that he was born at 7 this morning–healthy. Thank-you God. Birth mom has made the decision to keep him. Hmmmm. Don’t even know what to say. Trust God. Believe all is for the best. Don’t like this journey too much.

And my journal entry from this morning:

Elijah’s 1 year birthday!

What a difference a year makes. A year ago we received the heartbreaking, but understandable news that birth mom gave birth and decided to keep her son. Thank-You God for entrusting Elijah into our care–even for this brief time we have on earth. May he grow into a man who deeply loves You. May we be anointed by your Spirit to raise him according to Your plans. May I be an earthly father who is a reflection of You, his Heavenly Father.

As you can see by my journal entries, birth mom, after deciding to keep her son, one week later changed her mind and entrusted him into our care as our son. The journey was challenging but isn’t the journey what it is really all about? A journey to help us trust–even when we can’t see or even appreciate the outcome? A journey that is more about our commitment to become more and more like Jesus as we endeavor to love others in Jesus’ name . . .

What a difference a day, a month, a year, or even a lifetime makes.