13 weeks 5 days pregnant
We decided that we needed to send an email out to our friends and family letting them know about the news we received. Here is a copy of the email we sent...the response to this email was overwhelming. We feel so covered in prayer and in love! One of the biggest blessings to come through all of this so far is to realize how much our family and friends care about us and how faithful they are to pray for us. I have said this to our family: if there was ever a time in our life to go through something like this, this is the time...we have an amazing relationship with our family, an awesome church home, and a wonderful community of friends.
Dear Friends,
As a few of already know, and as most of you do not, we are expecting a second child (a son) in late June. Brittney has just entered the second trimester so, to the extent that you did not know, it is because we have just started telling friends about the pregnancy and have been informally doing so as we saw you/talked to you.
The overarching purpose of this email is to ask for your prayers. Yesterday, we received some very bad news regarding the health of our little baby boy. He has a very rare genetic problem that will make it hard for him to live outside the womb. To put things in perspective, the median lifespan for children with his condition is four days.
As you can imagine, this is a very hard thing for us to even imagine, much less communicate to others. Rather than try to pretend that everything was "okay" or have a multitude of very draining conversations to relay this news, we hope that you can understand why we are communicating this to you via email.
If you could please commit to joining with us in prayer in the following specific ways, we would be most appreciative:
1) Please pray that this situation would be used by God, to His Glory. We may never know this side of heaven, what God's purpose is through this; however, we know He has a perfect plan for us and for our baby...this is not an accident or error on His part. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
2) Please pray God's mercy on our little baby boy. We do not want him to be in pain and, although our time on Earth with him may be short, we take comfort in knowing that we will spend eternity with him. "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created things, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:38-39
3) Please pray for God's strength, comfort, and peace for our family. It goes without saying that this is going to be an incredibly difficult time for us and we pray that God would help us grow closer to each other, and closer to Him, through all of this. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
Below is a devotional that we received yesterday morning (before we knew our baby was sick). We do not believe that it was an accident that God provided us with this word of encouragement when He did. We hope that the devotional will also be an encouragement to each of you.
We love each of you and are so very thankful for your friendship and support. In times like this, words often fail us all, but please know that, more than anything, we appreciate knowing that you are praying for us and with us.
David & Brittney
December 31, 2014
From the "Leading the Way" Devotional
God on Our Side
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
What does it mean to have God working for us? First of all, it means that we are never alone, no matter what overwhelming problem we face. "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6). God will never abandon us to solve our problems on our own. He desires to help us and to strengthen us.
Having God on our side also means that the fullness of God's power and ability is available to us. God is almighty and He can do anything. He not only created all things, but He sustains all things. Because God is all-wise, He knows everything about us and our situation. He knows future obstacles we have not even seen yet, and He knows the best way to overcome them. He has made every provision we need to be victorious. Because of God's all-loving nature, love is the underlying motive for everything that God does. No matter how bleak the situation seems, nothing is so powerful that it can separate us from God's love.
We also know that because God is working for us, He will help us in times of trouble. Romans 12:21 tells us, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." God wants us to change our negative situation into a positive one. God wants us to be a godly influence in this world. And God will give us the strength to accomplish His plan.
Prayer: God, thank You for working for me and for being on my side. I find great comfort knowing that I am never alone, that I have Your power available to me, and that You will help me in times of trouble. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
© 2014 Leading The Way