Dear Chloe

One thing more I would like to tell you about the day you were born, Chloe. When I first met you you were all wrapped up in something soft - probably the first thing your mama had dressed you in. But a little later your little legs and feet were out. I remember touching them, very gently stroking your soft skin and holding your tiny feet in my hands. I was very gentle, thinking about how fragile you were; how soft and delicate you were. I knew toughness would come later, and that you would probably some day collide with the world in ways that left deep gashes in it, but that day you were more like the petals of a beautiful flower. These are very special, beautiful parts of the natural world but they are not strong. When a flower petal falls to the earth nothing moves except the air. I wonder if one of the reasons God gave us flower petals was for us to remember how our life began.

But looking at you, holding your little feet, I remembered this: "And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains, and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a gentle blowing."

And then the Lord spoke to his servant.

This was what it was like, being the with you that day.