On the morn of your 16th birthday..

It seems like yesterday,
that day you leaped onto the scene.
Yet it was sixteen years ago last night that I stood in the parking lot of our church in Ohio and told our youth group kids that I was going to have a baby that night.
There was no sign that your coming was imminent.
In fact, you weren't due till October 3.
But, perhaps more than mere wishful thinking,
it was a feeling in the depths of my heart.
I was so connected to you.
And somehow, I knew.

Just hours later, as the world lay sleeping,

I woke to the first pangs in the wee hours.
I lingered in the darkness, timing the contractions
before waking your dad,
savoring and relishing the moment.
Everything was about to change.
My world would be rocked by the arrival of this long-awaited, much-loved gift.
Our family was growing from 3 to 4.
In that quiet, holy moment---
just you, me, and God---
I soaked it all in, my son.
For though I didn't yet know who you were, I knew that God was entrusting me with a gift from His heart to mine.
And, oh, I couldn't wait to meet you.

A little after 4am, I awakened your dad with some of life's sweetest words:  "I think it's time."
After snuggling with your big brother, Drew,
and dropping him off at the home of friends,
we arrived at the hospital a bit after 4:30am.
Though the nurses apparently thought I was smiling too big to be in active labor, they humored me and checked me out.
But how could I not be smiling when I was about to meet you, little man?

By the time I was changed and settled in,
it was about 5am.
And just as you are now, you wasted no time.
Your punctuality and timeliness bless me to this day.
Just before daybreak, at 6:22am,
you burst upon the scene, sunnyside up.
I'll never forget the doctor's words to your dad:
"He's going to be looking right at you, Dad."

And in that moment,
our lives irrevocably, instantaneously, forever changed.
For you, our "little king," brought with you a gentleness, tenderness, and contentedness all your own.
Even as a baby, you were non-demanding and unassuming.
That characteristic has remained consistent through all of your 16 years, never asking for or expecting things;
never having an air of entitlement.
You're simply content.
And that's made your dad and me want to give you the world.

I love the way you tower above me;
the way you need to bend over to give me a hug.
I love that my effort to teach you to "hug like you mean it" paid off.
I love that our inside jokes and playful banter are a part of everyday life;
that when you say, "Your face,"
and I reply, "What of it?"
your standard reply is "I don't know."
And it makes no sense to anyone but us,
but it's ours alone.

I love that you're trying new things---
things that might initially make you feel a little uncomfortable, like leading a devotional or accidentally getting the lead in the school play.
You're showing yourself a man, Ry;
you're taking leadership and responsibility and learning better how to give of yourself.

I love that even now, as we're entrusting you with your own keys to the car, it's with faith and confidence, knowing you're ready.
Yes, you've got the skills;
yes, you're responsible and competent.
But more than that, I see evidence of Christ working in you all over the place.
And because of that, I rest and rejoice in the knowledge that your heartbeat is to live for Him.
That desire affects the way you interact and drive and make decisions.
And when you blow it and miss the mark,
you've got a relationship with the One who forgives, heals, and restores.
What joy for this mama's heart to know you belong to Him, my son.

And so today I remember that precious little bundle I snuggled so close to my heart;
I remember the backwards finger-sucking, boot-wearing, animal-loving little guy that so quickly became a remarkable young man.
And I stand in awe and celebrate God's custom, precise work of grace in you over these 16 years.
Not only do I love you, my son, I truly like and admire you.
And as we mark this milestone birthday, it is my heart's joy to laugh at the days to come, full of faith and hope.
This same God loves you even more than I do, and I have no doubt He's going to use your unique gifts and wirings to impact many for His Kingdom and make much of Him.

Happy 16th Birthday, Ry.  We love you like crazy.