This summer, my dear friend Katie walked the path every mother fears. She lost her son at birth. And yet, when I think about their journey, what rises to the surface isn’t despair, but hope.

I remember the day so vividly. On May 16th, Katie and I went on a tour through the Art Museum with her homeschool co-op. Afterwards, our kids played in the courtyard, picking wood sorrel and laughing at how sour it tasted—“like pickles,” they said. Katie had her 20-week ultrasound appointment right after our outing, and I was eager to hear if she was having another boy or girl. When I didn’t hear from her the rest of the day, I figured she was just busy with her three little ones. It wasn’t until later that she told me the devastating news: they had discovered their baby had anencephaly, a condition “incompatible with life.”

My heart broke. The unimaginable loss you pray no one ever has to endure was happening to my friend. And yet, in the midst of it, Katie’s faith in the goodness of God never wavered. She and her husband Grant, along with their children, chose to celebrate their son’s precious life. They named him Jonathan, which means “God has given.” They trusted that God had given them this little boy for a reason, and they loved him deeply.

They grieved, and continue to grieve, Jonathan openly and fully. They haven’t hidden their sorrow, but mourned this deep loss, as a family. And yet—even in the midst of such heartache—they cling to the hope they have in Christ. As Katie beautifully put it:

“Though our hearts are heavy that we will not be able to enjoy a long life with him here as expected, we rejoice that our Savior was a man of sorrows who tenderly welcomes the weak and broken. We do not grieve as those without hope.”

That is why their story gives me hope. Because even when the worst nightmare becomes reality, our God is still good. He is still faithful. He is still loving. And we hold onto the promise that one day, there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more death—because Jesus will make all things new.



We love you. And I cannot wait to meet your little man someday.