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The below update is the most recent I've received from her and it brought tears to my eyes. What an inspiration to others she and her husband are-to take this horrible situation and turn it into a witness for Jesus Christ and show the power of our Lord through dark and challenging times.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4
I've always imagined those words being clung to by people who are doing the actual dying, but as we head towards Elizabeth's birthday I feel they are near to my heart. We have chosen to induce labor a few weeks early now that she's considered "full-term" and will go in Sunday night to start the process. There are two reasons for this: first, my body is exhausted from combating preterm labor for the last two months; second, the longer we wait, the less of a chance we'll have to see her alive. Babies with her genetic disease often don't make it through the labor process and we want to make it easier on both me and her. I feel the valley start to surround us as the days click by. The good thing is that although some pressure and anxiety have kicked in a little, we're not afraid. We have a Shepherd who has made it clear in the last months that He is walking beside us. If you've had the chance to talk to either of us lately, you'd probably agree there is so much more to this story. As I start to walk through this valley I am comforted by knowing He's not going to leave. Instead of fear, there is an unshakable feeling that we are about to walk into something sacred.
We have had many people express their support in prayer and we ask you to continue throughout the week. There is so much to pray for! Jeremy is working hard to get everything ready for his absence at work, and I'm struggling to stay present while my mind travels into next week. Please pray for an easy delivery and favor regarding Elizabeth's birth. It's okay if we don't have time with her on this earth, we're at peace knowing that the best scenario will be the one that happens. Please continue to lift up the hospital staff, especially our doctor during our stay.
The whole thing feels a bit bittersweet. In a lot of ways sad, but we are so excited to see her! We've talked a lot lately about how different of a pregnancy this has been for us to go through. Physically the same (especially the preterm labor stuff) but emotionally so different. When we were expecting Seth we were so guarded that we couldn't even use his name. We weren't able to hold him until he was six days old, and weren't allowed to be alone with him until we brought him home a month later. This time around we have loved our Elizabeth without limits! The thought of holding her right away might seem like no big deal to other parents, but it is what we look forward to the most. It feels like what was lacking last time will be filled up, and we eagerly await those precious moments where it's just us and her.
We will update as soon as we're ready to. Thank you all so much for your support, physically and prayerfully. It has helped tremendously to know we have a crowd of people who have walked beside us thus far. With love, Jeremy and Josey
To follow the Horsts on this amazing venture of faith, here's the blog link: http://elizabethjoan.blogspot.com/
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