Dog Tired

I've been thinking about this post for a few days, but since I accidentally wore flip flops to work today, I figured I would finish the thought. 

Ever wondered why parents of young children are so tired? If you have young children, then you probably understand it well. If your kids are grown, you might remember those difficult days. Otherwise, you might be as clueless as I once was...

When Ethan was a baby, I would have done anything to help him sleep better. Anytime he slept better than usual, I would immediately question everything. What did I feed him or not feed him? What did he play with before bed? What book did we read? What's the room temperature? Exactly what time did we start bedtime routine and he fell asleep? Socks or no socks? Medicine or no medicine? Ahhhhhh! This lead to madness. We would over analyze everything and eventually come up with the same answer every time. All the sleep he has missed finally caught up with him. Or God knew we just needed a break. Whatever the reason, we were grateful for the rest. It is hard to carry on when you go a very long time between periods of rest. While preparing for adoption, we read to expect newborn like behavior after placement. Well Eli decided being up every single hour was better than every few hours. Nothing could have prepared us for Eli's terrible sleep patterns, even though it seems Ethan tried his best. We thought we knew sleep deprivation, but Eli (and jet lag) took us to a whole new level. 

Things we've done in our zombie like state:

•put refrigerated items in the pantry

•forgot to set a morning alarm (who hasn't really?)
•washed hair or put on deodorant multiple times (who can remember 2 minutes ago?)

•washed laundry without detergent 

•shaved only one leg

•put a child in the bathtub with a diaper still on

•used body splash instead of hair styling spray (it smelled like a perfume store while blow drying my hair)

The list goes on and on. And these are just the things we realize we messed up. (If you can think of more we've done, you can keep them to yourself!) Today on the way to work, Jonny Diaz's song Breathe came on the radio. I was reminded of Eli's recovery after surgery. Every time his oxygen levels would drop, I would silently beg him to breathe as I repositioned his head and the hose. Nothing was more important in that moment than breathing, resting, and healing. As I listened to the song, I decided to have a calm and positive day, especially because any day had to be better than watching Eli struggle. That theory was quickly tested as I stepped out of my car wearing flip flops. I immediately started making calls as I needed closed toe shoes to work in a hospital. All is well that ends well, I guess, as my coworker came to the rescue. (Thank goodness our feet are about the same size!)

My point today is to find rest. Not just physical rest and good sleep, but true rest and healing in the Lord. He will provide strength, calm worries, and heal hearts if we just go to Him. 

"He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams." Psalm 23:2

"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

"Breathe, just breathe

Come and rest at my feet

And be, just be

Chaos calls but all you really need

Is to take it in, to fill your lungs 

The peace of God that overcomes

Just breathe

So let your weary spirit rest

Lay down what's good and find what's best

Just breathe"

Breathe, Jonny Diaz