(As the Camry cruises across OH, the baby naps in his car seat as his sister plays quietly with her bag of car toys; from my supervisory station in the back seat, I have ample time to meditate on truths I’ve been learning as my loving Lord shepherds me along on this “deputation” trail...)
DJM is constantly trying to cram at least one finger – and often as many as all eight at once – into his mouth. He’s drooling – a lot! And he’s had an alternately runny and stuffy nose. All are symptoms his sister tended to have when she was teething five years ago.
Thankfully, he hasn’t been very fussy... (Yet?!) He has, however, been extra restless at night. And all this has started just when he was developing a pattern of “sleeping through the night” consistently. (If “sleeping through” can include a restless period or two – consistently resolved with the pacifier – right around 3:00 or 3:30 in the morning.)
Admittedly, four months of age seems rather early for the first tooth. (I didn’t bring my book from the Academy of Pediatrics along on this trip so I’m unable to look it up.) Maybe it’s “just” a cold; Elizabeth and I have developed runny noses, too. Whatever the case, we’ve had some extra interruptions in what tend to be already short nights on the road.
Don’t feel sorry for us!
But do pray for us!
Periods of night-time wakefulness can be profitable times to think...and pray...and recognize that God is lovingly at work in our lives. In the midst of my foggy, sleep-deprived state, He gently reminds me of great truths He has used to comfort me in the past: None of these circumstances come as a surprise to Him; as my loving and all-wise Father, He has ordained them!
These difficulties are part of the “all things” He is causing to work together for our good. After all, we have been called according to His purpose, and He has determined the boundaries of that purpose: Those who know Christ personally as Savior from sin and its eternal penalty can rejoice that God will conform us to the image of Christ, the only perfect Person who has ever lived on this planet! The ultimate result will be that HE, the Son, will be glorified; He will be the pre-eminent one among many who have been made like Him – they are called brethren! (cf. Romans 8)
This conformity to Christ’s image comes about through the “all things” – including sleepless nights, fussy children, runny noses, and infinitely more serious situations that try us to the depths of our beings as parents... God has predetermined this perfecting; it is His purpose – it will happen! He loves us that much!
As I renew my mind with these truths, the Author comforts me; He gives me hope in the depths of the night when I am tempted by despairing thoughts... So... Don’t feel sorry for us as you read this. If you know God, He is also using “all things” in your life to conform you to the image of His Son! “All things” in your life probably look quite different from “all things” in mine, but God is just as certainly at work in your life if you are His child. He loves you!
Will you pray for us? Will you pray specifically? We need God’s grace if we are to accomplish anything of eternal value. We are not sufficient for the task that lies before us. We are all too keenly aware of our weaknesses... But we are also thankful that, as our Lord has promised, He stands ready to help. He gives grace!
[Nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...
2 comments:
Sarah got her first tooth at 4 months. It is early, but it's not unheard of. Glad he isn't fussy--though I greatly dislike the "drool" stage.
We're still wondering if he's working on a tooth... He did end up "loosing" his formerly tethered tongue by chewing on his fingers. He seems to be a bit on the stoic side... Funny Little Man! :o)
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