Thankful....

I am thankful for so many things....salvation, life and breath, so many things! I wanted to take a moment and share some things that I am oh so thankful for in this particular season of my life. Two things in particular.....

First, I am thankful for moms who have gone before and can help those of us trying to figure things out with new babies! I have said, on numerous occasions, how blessed I feel to have so many godly women to look to for help/advice/encouragement in being a mom. Our church is filled with some amazing mommies! In midst of my questions about making baby food, schedules, sleeping, there is always someone who I can talk to if I need them. So thankful for that. Take for example the following situation. I asked my friends Dana C. and Kari B. for some advice about Karis' sleeping through the night difficulty (more MY difficulty of her not sleeping!) and just wanted some advice about what to do, how to see Christ through this time, and any other insight they could give. Kari asked me how long I was letting her cry in the middle of the night before I was getting up to go to her. I responded, "5, maybe 10 minutes." I only wish I could have seen the look on her face! (she was sitting behind me) She said something to the effect of, "Oh girl, you need to let her cry." They suggested that I let Karis cry for 30 minutes before getting up, and see how she does with that. So, that night we let her cry for 30 minutes, which leads me to my second thankful thing....

I am so thankful that my child has slept through the night for 2 weeks now!!!!! That first night, it took her a good 30 minutes, but then she went right back to sleep! Every night since then, she has slept right through! I am just shocked and amazed, but oh so thankful! She may wimper at some times in the night, but just briefly, and then goes back to sleep. I kept thinking, man we should have let her cry it out months ago! But, I am truly thankful for the lessons learned during that time of getting up in the middle of the night. It was hard, very hard, but God was so good and so faithful to meet me there. I wouldn't trade it (someone remind me of this when we have another kiddo!) I can also clearly sympathize with the other mommies out there that are struggling with lack of sleep. God is sovereign, even over our children's sleeping.

I don't say all this to brag on the fact that Karis is sleeping now, but just to point to the goodness of my God. He is just as good in midst of the difficulty (lack of sleep) as He is in the easier times (sleeping), and He is in control of both! Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, "In the day of porsperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider- God has made the one as well as the other..." I am in a time of "prosperity" but I know days of "adversity" are ahead with this little one (I can already see the sin nature, discipline time is on the horizon...) When those days of adveristy hit, I will seek the Lord in His word, I will seek the Lord in prayer, and I will humbly ask for help and advice from those who have gone before.

So thankful for this time of learning and refining.