Some of you may now know the specifics of my fervent prayer request yesterday. Bethany and Samuel went in for an ultrasound yesterday and there was no heartbeat. The doctors still don’t really know what happened, but they’ll know more after the autopsy. For now, Samuel and Bethany will be in the hospital until labor can be induced. My parents were able to drive through the night and arrive this morning to support them in whatever way.

Those of you who prayed today… please know that God is blessing Samuel and Bethany and my family through your prayers. I woke up praying throughout the night and often my prayers ended with “I don’t know, God, you finish the rest.” And every last petition reached His ears.

Yesterday I posted a passage from Romans 8 and I just want to point out these few verses:

Romans 8: 26-27, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

I truly, firmly believe that the Spirit is interceding with groans words cannot express. I believe that God knows more intimately the pain and brokenness in this situation than I will ever be able to comprehend. I also know that, just as God aches for our pain, He is the same today as He was yesterday, “our Rock and our Shelter” as my brother wrote today.

In the midst of all of this, held up by the prayers of the saints, Samuel and Bethany are trusting “God will be glorified” in some way through Isaac Brenton’s short life.

Continue to pray that the joy of the Lord would be their strength, for Bethany’s health, for the doctors and nurses, for the next decisions that need to be made, and (per Sam’s request) “most of all that God would be glorified.”

Again, I believe your prayers – the prayers of the community of believers offered up humbly to our Provider, Maker, Redeemer, and Savior – are received by our God who feels the hurt more than we can imagine.

Keep on keeping on.