Christmas Blessings

I have been thinking this week about the babies who will be born in the US this year with DS. There will be about 5,000 of them. That breaks down to about 14 per day. Given that very few of those diagnosed prenatally continue with the pregnancy, there are about 12-13 whose parents have no clue that their child has DS until he/she is born. Each day. Including tomorrow, Christmas day. There will be about 13 babies born on the day that we celebrate as Jesus' birthday whose parents will have their lives turned upside down. The day that they planned and anticipated for months. I am sure they will be excited as they head to the hospital, or maybe are already there. They know their child will have a special birthday, but they don't know how special their child will truly be. I have been praying for these 13 families. I pray that they find out in a good way. That they are strong and that this diagnosis draws them closer as a couple and as a family. That they would not think they did something wrong or blame themselves. That they would not doubt God's love or his plan. That their family would embrace them and their new baby and celebrate. That the family wouldn't say, "It's okay, don't worry." That God's love would shine in each of those labor and delivery rooms. That they experience the joy that everyone should feel welcoming a new baby into their families. That they feel the true blessing of Christmas.