Come to the Cradle

I wanted to share a bit of what the Lord has taught me through the past six months in caring for my baby.  Yesterday at his six month doctor appointment, I discovered he'd gained over ten pounds since we brought him home from the hospital.  Despite the fact that Chip is not a great sleeper, he has an incredibly cheery disposition and has never been sick.  My pediatrician affirmed my efforts to exclusively nurse him as much as I have because of his good health and growth.  Of course I would love it if my baby slept through the night.  But he doesn't.  Not even close.  But each night as I drag my sleepy head off it's pillow to respond to his cry for me, I have to remind myself that I have chosen this to care for my baby.  It is easy to be tempted to feel sorry for myself, to complain about my lack of sleep, but in truth, I would not trade that path I have taken!  It would be wrong for me to complain when the Lord has been so good to us, blessing us with Chippy's life and health.  I have prayed for more sleep, and for the most part, the Lord has answered that prayer with "no, not yet".  But truly, the Lord is good even when I'm tired.  I have prayed for wisdom over and over and tonight when I put Chip to bed, I turned on the CD "Come to the Cradle" by Michael Card.  I used to play this for Susie every single night, and the words are just wonderful.  Inside the album jacket, though, I found this encouraging word, and it brought tears to my eyes:

"For the cry of a baby in the middle of the night is not simply a summons to change a diaper -- it contains within it more than our ears can hear.  It is a call to leave the cozy self-interest of our warm beds; to come, saying no to a thousand voices that tell us to remain where we are comfortable  It is a call to come away from ourselves.  No one who has ever heeded this call will tell you it was in vain." (emphasis mine)

 And that is me.  I have gone, night after night to feed my baby when he wakes, and now I look at him, round and chubby and cheerful and know that I have done the right thing.  The Lord is good to bless me with this kind of encouragement, and I hope it blesses you as well.

Thank you, Michael Card for writing beautiful songs and words that feed this tired mommy's soul!  Let me recommend his book Sleep Sound in Jesus which has the words to other lullabies by Card as well as outstanding short devotionals for parents that have fed my soul so well as I stumbled through the earliest months of having a baby.