Tomorrow marks a year from the Sunday we dedicated Judson and Jessie at our church.  We had planned the occasion weeks before the onset of Jud’s Krabbe, but the disease was well underway when we stood before the members of Grace that pivotal Sunday morning.  Though we did not know what was happening in Judson’s body, we knew there was neurological damage.

Drake and I had only been at our church for less than a year (after moving to Costa Mesa); we were still trying to find our niche and knew only a handful of people.  However, we had firmly decided this was the community in which we wanted to dedicate and raise our kids.

As we stood before the church body professing our commitment to honor the Lord in our parenting of Jud and Jessie, the community also committed to supporting us in our endeavors to faithfully raise our kids…

Yet, we had no idea that our gift of raising Jud would end less than five months later.

In those five subsequent months of suffering, and now in our tremendous grief, we have received more support than imaginable.  Our church family took their commitment seriously, and we could not have walked this path without them.  In the most wretched of circumstances, they helped us love and care for our boy to completion. 

Whereas a year ago we did not know many of the faces at our church, we look around the room now and see true family-partners in our joy and suffering.  We may have dedicated our kids last year, but the people of Grace have certainly shown their dedication to us.

We would trade anything to have our boy back, but as Jud’s story unfolded, one of our greatest gifts has been GFC.  We are so grateful!