Brush with Tragedy

Today I received a phone call from our pastor's wife, saying that our assistant pastor's wife lost her full-term baby in utero last night. The expectant couple went to the hospital about midnight, expecting to deliver their second baby, only to discover the tragic truth as soon as fetal monitoring began. I don't know them very well, but it still seems strange that something like this should happen to such happy, normal people who just yesterday morning were talking with people at church about their preparations for an ordinary and imminent birth. It will be sad to see the new lines of grief deeply etched in their faces, and difficult to know how to help as I so desperately want to do. I looked at my sweet babies today with a full heart and a heightened sense of thankfulness, and I felt so incredibly sad for this young mother and her thwarted hope.