Finding Peace During a Medical Crisis

Posted by: Brittany Riva, Program Director | Monday, August 17th, 2026 ( 9:08am)

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.—Psalm 121

Apparently, it’s the season to welcome new babies! I know about six couples expecting babies in the next two to three months. As a mom, if you’re around pregnant women, you can’t help but think back upon how and when you became a mother.

I had some pretty significant challenges when I was pregnant with my first baby, which kicked off with a week-long hospital stay at 22 weeks. Even though I was only halfway through my pregnancy, my body began to act like it was time to give birth. I remember laying in the hospital bed, my husband next to me, as the doctor told us our baby could be born in the next 48 hours and that we would need to be prepared to make some difficult decisions should he or she come that early. We needed to wait and see what my body would do.

I have never experienced that kind of fear. For the next week as I lay in the hospital bed, I was fixated on any tiny change or movement. What if I didn’t recognize a warning sign? What if I wasn’t paying close enough attention? What if something changed or shifted when I was sleeping?

Nights were the worst. My husband, at my request, would leave for the night to get a good night’s sleep. I would be alone save a few short visits from the nurses. I would try to fall asleep, all the while terrified that if I did sleep, I would miss something that would bring harm to my unborn child.

In the middle of the fear, it was difficult to think about anything. I could barely string together words to pray. I was trying to think of verses. Promises of God that would bring me peace. I remembered the phrase “I lift my eyes to the hills, from where my help comes from.” A quick search on my phone reminded me that it was from Psalm 121. I looked it up and finished off the chapter.

“...He who watches over you will not slumber. Behold, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your protector; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.....”

I remember sobbing in my hospital room when I read that passage. If Jesus was in the room with me, He was watching over me so I could sleep. It felt like He was on guard for me, because the truth is, He was! I didn’t know what was going to happen to my baby, but I knew that nothing was out of His hands and that He would carry me through no matter what the outcome.

My beautiful daughter was born one day AFTER her due date. Perfectly healthy. I know there are many people who don’t have a happy ending to their stories. One of my family members is walking that road right now. What amazes me is, that even in their situation, they continue to speak of how God continues to watch over them, protect them, and hold them up in the midst of a situation that no one should ever have to go through.

That’s because it’s not the result that brings us peace, it’s the One we put our trust in. Trust that the Lord, who loves us more than we can imagine, will carry us through.