Elijah Paul Graf

Elijah said “Ahn-young-ha-seh-yo" (paying homage to his Korean root) to the world on January 8, 2009.

Isn't he a good looking baby? Paul and Rebecca have taken a long road to reach this destination: parenthood. Along the way, there's been a lot of tears and disappointment but they remained steadfast in their belief that God is good, and regardless of where the road ends up, God loves them. Their friendship is a tremendous blessing to me and my wife. For us to witness their strength, faith and perseverance has been convicting to us.

I spent a morning with them and from the pictures you can just see the joy that Elijah brings to their lives.

Elijah means "The Lord is my God." It is Paul and Rebecca's prayer that Elijah would know and experience Yahweh as his God, not just his parents' God. Paul's family has this great tradition where the son often receives either the grandfather's or the father's (and if it's a girl, the grandmother's or mother's) first name as his middle name.

The above pictures were taken at the hospital when we went to visit a few days after his birth. The pictures below were taken about six weeks later.

Paul is great at swaddling. He has impeccable technique; nice and tight, just how Elijah likes it.

Paul: "Sometimes I feel like I am posing as a parent. Fatherhood is wonderful and mysterious. It is a long series of very simple tasks the sum of which is profound...Elijah is already a complex, autonomous person with a personality and preferences all his own."

Rebecca: "I find myself repeating the words, "You are SOOO cute!" - which translates into, "You are perfect in every way!"

Paul: "It is a little hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I will spend the rest of my life doing simple, but increasingly complex tasks that will shape this life that I am responsible to steward. I'm doing it all every day, but sometimes it's a little surreal."

Rebecca: "I just woke up at 3:30am to feed my darling son as I heard him squirming around in his bed and noticed that he was chewing on his hand...As I put him down for his sleep again, I can't help but to stand over him and just marvel again at God's wonderful gift to me. I feel as though I have learned to marvel again and to be in awe...God's words, "It was very good, " after He completed His work of creation, they ring a new meaning to me...each time I look at Elijah, I can't help but to enjoy God's creation."

Rebecca: "Elijah's survival depends on my caring for him. I find myself often wondering and marveling at the mystery of the incarnation, that God would choose to become flesh, a human being, a helpless baby as His starting point...of redeeming the world...I don't know if I will ever fully understand it, but I marvel at it."

Paul: "It is a strange fact that the event that makes you a father has nothing to do with being a good father. And being a good father is not about a single thing. It is about your whole life...The work of being a good parent never lets up, but each act is an act of love.

Paul: "And though we may not love each act (like changing poopy diapers) the result of it all brings tremendous satisfaction as we see our baby happy and content."

Rebecca: "...how marvelous it is that God would entrust one of His marvelous creations to me to love, to raise, to care for...whenever I think about it, I find myself welling up with tears."

Paul: "God has made me a father...I'm here to enjoy it as a gift and great responsibility from Him that is part of living out the image He has imprinted on me, as well as my son Elijah."

Rebecca: "One of the most satisfying things I have experience being a mom is how Elijah greets me in the morning with the biggest smile and a happy squeal...I love being a mom!!!"