Tonight, as I was praying that she would fall asleep and not feel scared, I felt so anxious. I knew she was sleepy, and I didn't want her to be too upset to fall asleep. I decided I would think of all the things I'm thankful for, and I realized there are so many. Too many too count really.
Does anyone else read Ann Voskamp and feel completely ungrateful and also like you want to move to a farm? Me too. But, what I like about her is that she doesn't make me feel like a complete loser. She gives me a reminder to look for ways to be thankful. I have been thinking about taking her challenge for the month of January, and I've even printed the handout, but I haven't done it yet. I guess this post is my quick way of getting that done, in some way. Anyway, here is the actual dare from A Holy Experience.
The idea is that you are supposed to take a picture and share three gifts a day. I haven't done that obviously, but I do want to do something. So when all my sleep training efforts and all the "right things" kept falling short, her dare somehow popped into my head right when I needed it.
I needed a reminder to be thankful in those trying moments. There is so much to be thankful for. Not that sleep isn't important, but in the big picture, it's a little thing.
Here is my little list so far:
- Helen Claire trying to say "I Love You."
- Her grabbing my hand to hold through the crib slats
- A healthy baby (awake, able to scream her head off- all reminders that she CAN do these things because she is alive and well)
- The way she smells just out of the bath
- How she asks to sing Whole World or I Thank God for her Daddy every single night
- Bear hugs
- Kisses
I haven't given this all the thought it deserves, but I hope to complete the list for January, even if it will be late. I think it could help with anxiety- fighting feeling with feeling- and choosing to see the joy in things.
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