Gratitude
The past 3 nights Jaeger has slept from 8:30-2:30, woken up at 3:30 again, and then at 4:30, when I feed him in our bed. Then he will sleep with us until about 8. Thank you for your prayers! This change came by the grace of God and not through my changing anything.
For the two months or so that Jaeger was sleeping 4 hour stretches at most, I complained that he was not a good sleeper. Then it became sleeping in hour to an hour and a half increments for a month. God has brought me low to lift me up — I am now very grateful for the one 4-5 hour stretch I get right away and the 2-3 hour stretch before waking up. I am learning to be grateful and content and to rely on God and not my own works. I can’t make this baby sleep, but I can count on God to supply all my needs.
Tonya Davis has been a blessing. I have been able to talk with her quite a bit lately, and one conversation after Bible study last week has remained with me. She was consoling me about the lack of sleep and the tedious task of reading ingredient labels. She was relating her frustration in similar situations (it was when she was sick), and said “I thought, ‘I know we’re supposed to be grateful in all things — Lord, I’m grateful for in-door plumbing!’” She intended to show how desperate she had been, but I saw an excellent habit to cultivate — no matter the situation, say to yourself “I know we’re supposed to be grateful in all things” and find something to be grateful for in the situation at hand — not something unrelated or general, but something specific to what frustrates you. It is true: we are supposed to rejoice in all things, be grateful in all things, and be content in all things.
So, Lord, I am grateful for 3 hour stretches of sleep.
