To Jake

I wrote this last week....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE

My son, Jake turns 3 tomorrow. THREE. 3.

Happy 3rd birthday, Jake (Jaker, Jakey, Come-Jo-Be, Jacoby) -

You have changed me in more ways than I can count.

You have reaffirmed that our love from Christ is so big, it can make your heart hurt.

You have reminded me that we are ALL adopted sons and daughters of The Most High.

Your curiosity is insatiable, and at times you have worn us out with it. However, it has also reminded us to stop and smell the roses on more than one occasion. After all, a ladybug IS truly MARVELOUS.

You are a funny little kid. We laugh so much after we put you and your siblings to bed over the things you do during the day.

You only have two speeds. Running and sleeping. You remind us that we need to stay in shape to keep up.

You are truly a beautiful child, with your birthmother's high cheekbones and your birthfather's coloring and height.

THAT SMILE. Wow - LIGHT. UP. THE. ROOM.

In fact...I don't know many people who see your face and can NOT smile....

I had thoughts on adoption that I wanted to share with you today, but after thinking about it, I kinda felt like Jake just needed his own birthday on this blog, sans adoption opinions. That will come later.

I will tell you that on each of his birthdays, so far....my heart aches for his birthmother, with the reminder that all adoptions begin with a loss. A loss, deep, wide and jagged. But out of that loss, hope begins again, because our God never stops redeeming. He never stops making good out of bad. Nothing is wasted.