Driving home from the hospital tonight after meeting a dear friend‘s sweet new baby girl, I had a few moments to embrace the joy that was so present in the hospital room–the kind that comes from cradling a day old baby and visiting with two delighted parents as they share their love for someone who has, and will, change their lives forever.

Today was a rough day for me in mommy-land. When it was fresh, I had grandiose ideas of a family trip down to the farmer’s market, a walk downtown and a picnic in the park. With a forecast boasting 78 degrees and sunny, I was determined to make the most of what I thought could be a picture perfect Saturday. But this was before I knew that Henry would want to feed every hour from 6:15am on, that I’d still (begrudgingly) be in pajamas at 11am, that I’d change clothes a few times due to feeding mishaps, and that we’d still be sitting in the living room trying to sort out the day just before 2pm. We did make it downtown eventually, scrapping the farmer’s market and picnic altogether, and we made it about 45 minutes–with dad rocking Henry the whole time, before the rain started and we headed back home.

This was not one of my shining moments as a mom. Admittedly frustrated with not being able to satisfy the little guy, I just wanted to give up trying. I never want to give up on Henry, of course, but the idea of being his sole source of food and nourishment can be overwhelming at times, and today was no exception. Thankfully, after we returned home and I fed Henry one more time, he had tired himself out enough for us both to get in a nap. It’s amazing, but two hours of sleep feels like an entire night in this newborn season, and I woke up with fresh eyes for the night ahead.

Naturally, I was thrilled to be able to sneak away (after feeding Henry again) to meet a precious new baby and to be away from the house for a little while. And although I was only gone just over an hour, the “quiet” time away was much needed after a day like today. The drive home was reflective and sweet, as “In Christ Alone” played on the radio and I was reminded once again that there truly is redemption in every single day. I came home to a still-fussy baby, more feeding and more wondering how to make life easier for Henry…for all of us. But I am a bit more able to manage than I was earlier.

Perspective is a beautiful thing, and God was gracious to me tonight. He is always attentive to our needs in the hard spaces, and as it turns out, He had His hand on me–on us, and on one more day. Although we’re facing a rough patch and needing a little more tangible encouragement than we might always require, I’m so grateful to be able to see where God is waiting when I’m desperately craving the kind of comfort that only He can provide.

challenged to embrace the hard things, the lessons, and the sweet new things in life tonight,

mm

*undoubtedly, there are more moments like this in our future: