*Riley has given me permission to share part of his testimony.*

Sometimes the most beautiful stories begin at the end.

I sat in a church service in Montana last Sunday.

Just a few minutes earlier, I had surprised Riley in person to tell him that he had graduated from therapeutic boarding school and was coming home. Riley has been in Montana for the past year (well, one week shy of one year).

We were allowed to visit in October and he was allowed to visit home in March;  however, all other conversations have been had over face-time.

I saw Riley from behind. Samuel, the director of the program he has been attending, tapped him on the shoulder and told him I was there for his graduation. He jumped up and ran to me. Ran. With a smile on his face, he ran. He hugged me tightly right there in the aisle. Sam showed us where we could sit and asked if I could share part of our testimony.

The day before, I had flown in to Kalispell, Montana. I had booked the flight for the day before because I didn’t want to take any chances on missing Riley’s graduation from the program. There were no delays and the weather was perfect. I found myself with an afternoon in Montana. I drove to Glacier National Park and was giddy about finding a trail to hike. (Pro-tip : If you are unsure about what to do at a national park, just ask the rangers at the booth. Tell them how much time you have and what level of difficulty you are comfortable with. No matter where I am, they always give me the best advice.). The park ranger told me about the Trail of the Cedars.

I wanted to spend time walking in God’s creation and thanking him for the gift of Riley.

I pulled over at Lake McDonald on the way and stared in awe at the clear water. I could see the bottom of the lake – the rocks and pebbles looked so close to the surface.

I wanted to say a rosary during hike on the Trail of the Cedars, but I couldn’t remember the mysteries for Saturday. I remembered a conversation I had with Julia’s fiance, John Paul. There was a Saint that said not to worry if you couldn’t remember the mysteries, but simply ask the Holy Spirit to show you what to meditate on. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me think of five punctuated moments in our journey with Riley.

Five moments to pray with gratefulness about our Riley:

• When we wrote his name in a journal 11 years before he was born
• When Karen asked us if we knew anyone that was interested in adopting a two year old boy
• Saying yes to an open adoption and gaining a new family
• Our pilgrimage to Belgium
• His graduation from Raising Arrows Ministry in Montana

I wandered through trees that invited me deeper into prayer and closer to being reunited with Riley. I stood in front of a waterfall and felt the cool breeze wash the sadness of the decision to send him to a therapeutic boarding school away.

I realized that the Lord had used the time at the Trail of the Cedars to prepare me to answer ‘yes’ to sharing our testimony.

Riley graduated from Raising Arrows Ministry last Sunday. He is doing fantastic! We are so thankful for people who understand RAD. They are giving us a second chance on family – a gift we will never be able to repay.

After the testimony all the men of the church came up to pray over Riley. I was surrounded by men of prayer who cared about my son’s soul. In that moment, time stood still. The staff who had so carefully and graciously cared for Riley over the past year had become the labor and delivery nurses. The church had become the witnesses to a miracle. The Holy Spirit usher new life into my arms. It had become a birthing room.

Please pray for his transition home and pray that Brian and I parent him with wisdom.