I hit the baby jackpot when it comes to a sleeping. Cohen first slept through the night at 8 weeks old and has never looked back. The kid apparently inherits his sleeping ability from his Momma!
Well, now Cohen is at the stage of development where he doesn’t automatically fall asleep to his bottle. He wakes up and is alert when put down for a nap and at bedtime. We’ve had to officially start sleep training him and it is BRUTAL.
No one enjoys hearing a baby cry, but when you know your child is crying because he misses you and just wants to be held, it rips your heart in two! I know that Cohen needs to learn the skill of falling asleep without me. I know in the long run the tears are a small price to pay for this ability. However, it still is very hard to sit and stare at the baby monitor while your baby is crying and know you can’t immediately run in to hold him.
I actually imagined God in a similar scenario the other day. I pictured God sitting on his hands, staring at a monitor watching his child struggle. Could God swoop in to rescue his child? Of course! Does he always? No. Sometimes God allows us to wrestle, to struggle and to be uncomfortable in order that we learn what he wants us to learn. I imagine that it hurts God’s heart to see his kids struggle, but in his infinite wisdom he knows in the end it will be worth it 😉
Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.