Dare to Hope?

First I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support and encouraging words and offers of help. They mean more to us than you could know. As my wife says, you have been “Jesus with skin on” to us.

As many of you know, when you get a lot of information in a really short time, something gets missed, so I wanted to share some more details with you all that I forgot two days ago. One detail is that Olivia also has a cleft left palate, and a misshapen head. All of the previous things and these things put together lead the dr in Rockford (dr R) to believe there is a chromosome problem. Also, many might not have known, but Beck had high blood pressure from the beginning of this pregnancy and was recently put on blood pressure meds. The dr R from Monday believes that this indicates chronic hypertension which would definitely affect the placenta and therefore Olivia’s growth.

Yesterday, I spoke with dr R and he did tell me that Olivia did grow between ultrasounds, but nowhere near the minimum amount that they like to see. But that is better than absolutely zero growth. At this point, we are waiting at home and waiting for the first result from the amnio, which should arrive between Thursday and Saturday, and then dr R will call us.

As I have had time to think and pray and absorb the information, I feel all sorts of things: fear, anxiety, pain, questioning, doubt, … I don’t know but the LORD reminded me the following lyrics:

I’ve walked the valley of death’s shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I’ve had to let go of more than I could bear
And questioned everything that I believe
But still even here
in this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.

--Steven Curtis Chapman, “Yours”, 2008 Radio Version

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. --Philippians 4:6-7

Many of you have asked how to pray, so I ask that you specifically pray for the following:

Pray for Beck’s blood pressure, for the placenta to work right, for the umbilical cord to open up and supply Olivia’s needs, for Olivia’s heart to work right, for Olivia’s brain to develop right, for Olivia’s hands to open. I want to dare to hope for the healing only the LORD and trust the Him that Olivia belongs to Him, as does Sebastian, Sienna and Tatiana. Thank you all for your love and prayers.

Rick

PS-Beck is reading the comments is very thankful for all the support.