Jo and I were encouraged throughout the whole period of the pregnancy, birth and the diagnosis with this simple thought from the Bible - Jeremiah 1:5.

" Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee..."

The wonderful thing here is that it says that God formed this little life in the belly.  It is not simply a matter of our body's reproductive processes producing new life, God is intimately involved in forming every new life that is born.  And even BEFORE that life is conceived and born, he KNEW it, all about it.  He knew all about the problems and the difficulties we have only just found out about.  He knows all about what lies ahead as well.  This has not taken Him by surprise, only us.

The comfort is this: that the Lord knew all about what we and little Beth are going through and are going to go through and he has permitted it.  This is not some random occurrence that is outside his control.  We can thus be reassured that we have not, nor ever will be forsaken - "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee...". 

We can further know that he has a purpose and a plan in even this situation for little Bethany and for us; and because of this we know that he will continue to strengthen, comfort and guide us - "that we may boldly say the Lord is our Helper" Hebrews 13:5,6.