 Our youngest turned six weeks old yesterday. She is, by all accounts, a wonderful little child; full of life, charm, and strength (look at her holding up her head like a pro!) My wife and I have been richly blessed; all colic aside.
Yes, it is true. Our little sweetheart has begun to suffer through colic (and we with her) each night for around three hours or so, usually beginning around ten thirty or eleven o'clock.
Our eldest, who is now about to turn thirteen, was the only other child with colic that we had, and I should say this - you seldom get the opportunity to do a rubber-meets-the-road sort of comparison between who you are today, and who you were thirteen years ago, than to compare the way you handle identical situations then and now.
Thirteen years ago I was not walking with the Lord, and though my wife and I had been married for five years our marriage was not a good one. We were selfish, and worldly, and those unwelcome traits only grew when our first child developed colic. In my selfishness I quickly began to resent the way my wife wanted to share the duty of comforting my screaming and inconsolable son at two a.m. in the morning. I had a job, so naturally I used that to justify my selfishness, and the resentment that permeated every moment I gave to trying to soothe my tiny, red-faced and teary eyed son.
I cringe in shame within my soul when I think back on that.
So also I marvel then at what a difference the Lord has made in my life thus far. Sure, I am an "experienced" father now, in that I understand colic much better than I had, and I realize that infants are not necessarily inconsolable, you just have to know how to console a colicky child† Yet such experience does not, nor can it, touch the work of love in my heart that the Lord has done.
Not that I love my newest daughter more than I loved my eldest son, but rather I love my God and His blessing to me. I love my wife, and strongly desire to provide whatever comfort and security I can to her. So it is that I have found great joy and comfort in soothing this little one in the wee hours of the night. I count it a privilege and an honor to give my wife rest, even at my own expense, while I eagerly take my turn at soothing our newest child.
I tell you, it is things like this that make the words of Christ so real - He gives to His children life, here and now, more abundantly (c.f. John 10:10). What has changed in me that what before was a source of contention, tension, and resentment, is now a well of joy and opportunity, so that I am thankful above all else? What has changed is that I trust the Lord, and live to serve Him in the strength that He provides.
Praise be to God who does more than save us from hell, but gives us joy in all things here and now.
† To soothe colic, swaddle your infant firmly, so that his or her arms are pinned at the side (careful not to over do this, or restrict the neck - use your common sense), then holding the child on his or her side (facing you, and against you), gently rock and (very lightly) jiggle the child as you shush him or her. This shushing is supposed to imitate the sounds of the womb, not provide you with an avenue to vent any frustration you may be feeling (not "shush! shush! You noisy child!", but "ShhhhSHHHshhhSHHhh").
Note: The baby may, at first, fuss a bit, as if this is not only not working, but even aggravating the situation, but you should see a marked improvement, and calmness soon enough.
Note also: Marry yourself beforehand to the sure knowledge that this is going to take a while - an hour maybe - and that in that hour the babe may have, in spite of your efforts, a moment or two here and there, where they fuss again, but continue the course, and the babe will find rest far sooner, and far more quietly, and far less stressfully, than he or she would have otherwise.Labels: blessing; praise, colic, parenting |
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