Lessons From the Midnight Hour

Just as I was falling into a deep sleep last night around 11:30pm, I heard the sound that gives me a pit in my stomach and fills me with anxiety and dread.

The shrill baby scream/cry that pierces through every door and wall of the house.

What's going on? Is he okay? What time is it? {sigh}. 11:30? Really? Maybe he'll just fall back asleep...oh, God, please! Let him fall back asleep.

My nearly-11-month-old, Aiden, fell back asleep but only to awake again an hour later. Jason, my husband, tried comforting him. Just more screaming.

12:45 am. "Honey, can you set up the pack 'n play downstairs? I don't want him to keep waking Landon up..."

Landon {4 years} and Aiden share a small room. All mom's know the last thing anyone needs is additional family members entirely sleep deprived.

1:45 am. More protests through screams could then be heard from the pack 'n play now set up in the kitchen.

For real? Maybe Jason will just deal with it. Maybe if I lay here long enough he'll get up and take care of Aiden....Oh my gosh. Am I really that awful of a mother? Your poor son is screaming, needs you RIGHT NOW and you're hoping someone else will take care of it?!

I threw on my robe, searched for my glasses the in dark and scooped up my baby boy. Doing the mommy-bounce and "ssshhh-ing", I changed his diaper. Not the solution I was hoping for. Not what he needed.

I felt around in his little mouth.

Oh. That's two huge craters. Both eye teeth popping in. Those are the worst. {sigh}. Poor baby boy, you just needed your Momma. You're in so much pain.

In a moment, my entire outlook changed. I now felt desperate for him. Empathized with him. I know what horrible pain feel like. It totally sucks.

I administered some baby meds, gave him some teething tablets. Never mind I'm typically incredibly cautious about giving meds to my kids. My baby was in PAIN. I was gonna give him whatever I could to make it stop.

2:30 am. More laying down, more screaming.

Okay, he's been up for three hours. This is my last-ditch effort. I'm nursing him.

As my sweet baby boy got his fill of milk, the glimmer of the moon shone on his baby-fine sandy blonde hair. My heart melted.

Jesus, thank You for my baby boy. Thank You that I get the joy and privilege of being his Mama. Thank You that he's such a sweet boy. I pray that You would help his pain to subside. Be his comfort and his peace. May You surround him with Your love and may he experience Your presence right now, in Jesus' Name.

Isn't that where the perspective shift occurs? At the crossroads of helplessness and gratitude?

So often others issues are just that...others issues. Someone else's problem.

What if we dared to enter in to the messiness of their problem?

What if made it ours, even a little bit?

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

What if you took a cue from my middle-of-the-night escapades and didn't start with whining, complaining, grumbling?

What if we began with gratitude?

In the middle of the night? Yes.

When I'm so tired I can't see straight? Yes.

When the house's entire attitude tomorrow hinges on tonight's rest? Yes.

When just flat-out don't want to? Yes.

Here's what I know. The Savior position is taken.

Like, for real. Jesus isn't looking for a replacement. Pretty sure He's got that one covered.

He tells me:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

God didn't create me to carry others burdens on my own. Rather, He tells me in Matthew that I not only can, but am to give my burdens to Him. He can handle it. In fact, He handled it all on the cross.

I wonder what would happen if I entered in with people, starting with my own family more fully.

Their issues, their burdens.

I wonder what would happen if I carried their burdens, and then turned around and gave it back to the One who can and already has handled it.

May we enter in and start with gratitude a little more today.

Through Unspeakable Joy,

Laura