One year ago. Yes one year ago today we said goodbye to this sweet smile.

This perfectly imperfect smile. One year ago today I kissed your sweet cheeks. I stared at that little cleft smile. I studied it. I memorized it. Squeezed it into every little space in my heart. Vowing to never forget it. I said goodbye to that sweet smile and prayed for the strength to celebrate the new one.

One year ago today I was such a fool. I was so naive. I remember thinking I will still love this boy, but I will never think he is as cute. How crazy was I? This past year I have learned to love a new smile. One that was covered in a thousand prayers. That was fought for. We rubbed cream, we cleaned, we protected this new smile. We paid a great deal of money for this new smile. We worked hard for this new smile.  And I will treasure it always.

Shane Mark this past year has been amazing. You have had one major surgery and two minor procedures. You have had 11 ear infections. You have seen specialists for food allergies, then turned one and all that went away. You have spent countless hours cutting teeth (is there anything worse than a baby cutting teeth). You have seen more doctors than I have in my life time. And yet you do it all with a smile. A brand new sweet smile.

You, the one year old, are tougher than I am. More resilient than I am. And believe it or not more stubborn than I am. You continue to walk through life with excitement and don’t even remember the hard roads you have walked. You just look forward with such child like faith, it brings me to tears. I have learned so much about the power and strength of prayer. And the sacredness of authentic community with the body of believers. I have seen the gospel in such a different light. I have seen God’s glory on full display every time  see you brand new smile.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. ” Jeremiah 29: 11-13