Our little boy arrived yesterday and soon gave us a smile. My mom, seeing the picture, said the angels were whispering in his ear. Old wives tales – I assume it was just the reaction to his first bit of gas.

This little one’s arrival has been a journey. We have seen more sonograms of him than our first three combined. At first his nuchal translucency was enlarged. Then his kidneys. There were tests, visits to specialists. Discussions with genetic counselors. The possibilities ranged from life altering disabilities to conditions “not sustainable for life”.

The week before the sonogram showed the nuchal translucency, we had announced Meg’s pregnancy to the church. So the next Sunday, I opened our worries to the congregation. Our friend, Tim Everly, broke into my ramblings at the end and called the church to prayer. (Click to read what I wrote at the time.)

After the prayer I worried. A week after the prayer the nuchal had shrunk by half, into normal range – I worried. Though his kidney size slowly came into normal ranges – I worried. Even yesterday, as he was delivered, I worried.

He came out, the cord wrapped around his neck, and my breath stopped with worry.. until I heard that little cry – a healthy, perfect baby boy.

Prayer can feel like words into air. Our ramblings just gas in a great universe of chance. The bang. The galaxies raging forward… In the expanse we can feel on our own. And then, in our whisperings, we are not alone. We are thankful.

We are thankful for Tim’s boldness to stop the pastor and allow Church to begin. We are thankful for everyone who has prayed of our little one. You have brought us more grace than we deserve. By the grace of Christ we hold our son. We are thankful to God for our son, Ezekiel.