A lesson in comfort
Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
(Psalm 22:9, ESV)
As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
so I will comfort you;
(Isaiah 66:13a, ESV)
Isn't it amazing that God compares himself to mothers? We've been struggling with sleep patterns lately. The past couple of days, my 21-month old has been fighting off nap time and bedtime with a vengeance. I mean screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs type of vengeance. If Daddy or I picked him up, he would stop his screaming. We also suspect the 2-year molars are part of the problem, and have been giving him the meds. But those are apparently not enough.
There are times for self-soothing. But it's interesting that the Psalmist didn't say, "you are he who took me from the womb, you made me cry it out while my mother listened from a nearby tent to teach me to survive."
Likewise, there's the verse in Isaiah. It doesn't say when the mother comforted, or that she stopped comforting at a specific age, but clearly God expects mothers to comfort their child. And He promised that comfort to His children. (In spite of the number of times they had protested, turned away, thrown tantrums, or just the fact that they really needed to grow up.)
Now, I do believe there are times when a baby or toddler needs to self soothe. But today, after days of fighting this battle and then today, breaking down into tears (in my room, where the little one couldn't see or hear me as he wailed through the walls), the theme of these verses came to mind. And when little brat, I mean sweet but needy Buddy, who had thrown his sippy to the floor, been given his pain reliever, and been left to go to sleep for a greatly needed nap awoke after maybe 30 minutes of sleeping, decided he NEEDED Mommy, I decided that for some reason, he NEEDED me, too, and this was not just a battle of the wills. And I held him. And rocked him back to sleep.
And held him for another 40 minutes until he woke up peacefully and looked at me, a sweet, smiling copy of photographs of his Daddy at the same age. It was good for both of us. In fact, he's grown into such a big boy that I can't remember the last time my little wrestler actually slept in my arms for even 5 minutes. Apparently I needed to be reminded that he is still a baby, and sometimes what a baby needs most is Mama.
And held him for another 40 minutes until he woke up peacefully and looked at me, a sweet, smiling copy of photographs of his Daddy at the same age. It was good for both of us. In fact, he's grown into such a big boy that I can't remember the last time my little wrestler actually slept in my arms for even 5 minutes. Apparently I needed to be reminded that he is still a baby, and sometimes what a baby needs most is Mama.
5 comments:
Good post. I really liked the reminder of God being like a mother, especially the way he comforts us. We never started out to be co-sleepers and co-nappers. And I never thought I'd hear my husband say how sweet this time of sharing our bed with a toddler is for all of us. But that's our life right now. And it's really okay. I watch him growing each day in security, and something in my love tank gets filled, even as I'm pouring love out, during these moments. The house may not get as clean, and it may take many moons before my laundry gets folded. But that's okay too. Thanks for this post.
I tried getting B to nap with me... that was among the tricks that didn't work and led me to tears today. He used to so well. :( But then I dragged the rocking chair back inside off the balcony, dusted it off, and we finally rested.
Glad the post touched you. :)
Amen Inkling!
I will be praying for you today. Thanks for sharing your trials today... it's hard to know if you are laughing or crying on Facebook.
Depends on the day. :) Sometimes I just laugh about it and take it in stride. Others, well, not so much laughing.
You know, my mom has a theory that it's a boy thing. Girls, she says, are a little more stable, but it's like little boys know that soon they are going to be independent and they crave that comfort now so they can be independent later. My toddler went through something similar at that age and I finally had to stop and just hold him when he got like that. He's better now, though he still likes to take refuge in a lap now and again.
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