A Gift From God

The delivery room was silent. I did not notice. I was too excited about the birth of our first son, Jonathan. A lifetime of father-and-son activities raced in my mind. Yet the doctor quietly studied our newborn son. The nurses avoided eye contact. Is something wrong? In a life-changing moment, I realized our son had Down syndrome and, as I would soon learn, a serious heart defect. As I fought to maintain composure, I thought of my wife in the recovery room, sleeping peacefully, unaware of our son's condition. How would I tell her? Thus began a daily battle for our child's health, as did an intense mental and spiritual struggle. Why? Did God not care? Did he ignore months of prayers for our child? Can we have a normal life? The story of our son Jonathan is not easy, but it is worth sharing. It is an intimate look at comprehending unconditional love, the grace of God, and unexpected blessings.