Today, a note from Luke's dad...

We wanted to share a bit about our past couple days with everyone. Thank you everyone who has and continues to pray for baby Luke. He has already overcome such difficult obstacles to be with us today and we know that is because we have asked our good Father to heal and protect him.

When Luke was delivered at 1:34pm on Tuesday, he was silent. Every believing heart stared and prayed as the neonatal doctor attempted to force air into his tiny lungs.

You've never seen so many doctors in one room ready to help. Because respiration is accomplished through the umbilical cord prior to birth, we have never known what to expect for his breathing. As it happened, his lungs did not respond right away. The breaths provided by the doctor did not help at first, and the NICU doctor calmly told us that Luke was not responding. Her next effort involved intubation, which bypassed whatever was blocking his airway and finally caused Luke to take his first gasping breaths. Thank you, Jesus.

I very nearly fell over during the initial delivery but managed to regain my footing just in time to catch the eye of a wonderful nurse who called me over to my son. After a much too brief trip into Pam's arms and out again (the picture that special nurse took continues to crush me), I was following my son and his team into the special unit. Everything happened so fast that I hadn't been given my bracelet yet which would match me to my boy.

We had only so much in our mind about what to expect and all of what we expected was there: clubbed foot with a bifurcated femur, heart irregularity, neck folds, but we didn't expect one important thing--his utter perfection. This attribute flies high above every other, and is all we see. The physical challenges Luke is facing with his body and heart and mind fail to have any bearing whatsoever on the fact that God made him beautiful in every way. I'm so in love watching him breathe. All the lines and machines--all of which I am grateful for--cannot hide the beautiful boy they are serving and saving.

In Psalm 139, when the writer considers the power of God over every aspect of his life, and the fact of God's hand in the future, he says exactly what I that've been thinking since Luke arrived: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." Hovering over his bedside we have so little contact, but we are bound to him in manifold love. That God has chosen us to love him is too wonderful for us. I feel so utterly unworthy to be Luke's father. He has needs I have no way of meeting and issues I can understand on only the most basic levels--but he's ours. We cannot be worthy of this gift.

Surgery on his heart and leg appear to be forthcoming and we are trusting the doctor's God has provided for Luke. Already the doctors are talking about moving Luke off of the respirator and onto a machine that does less to force his breathing. This is because the lungs that could do nothing on Tuesday are now providing most of his breathing. He is growing stronger and that is a gift that Jesus bought for us.

Even as his lungs are improving, Luke still hasn't opened his eyes and so we pray that he would "wake up" and get to see his family. Someone important to us texted Pam to say that she was praying that Luke would open his eyes and that all we would see is Jesus.  I love this. Pray that we can begin to interact with Luke.

We love Luke and cannot wait to bring him home, whenever that is. The car seat is a empty when we drive home, but he is ours and we love him more than we can express. Keep praying that he grows strong enough to come home, and that the doctors who treat him are able to discern his needs.