Footprints in the sand

You know, when I sit back and look at the past 4 months, on one hand I think how on earth did we make it, but on the other I know exactly how.

Presley was born into our 760 square foot home with no bedrooms. For starters, I was hormonal...she also has acid reflux, and in the beginning a gas problem more than the average newborn (overfeeding a little one sure makes that worse). She cried the majority of the day. I was going insane with being in the same space, same room with Presley and I couldn't fix her. I couldn't figure out why every time her head slightly went backwards she'd scream. I couldn't get sleep, and wasn't sleeping very well during the day (unless ofcourse we went to the Galla-rinis where she would magically fall asleep). We still think she was playing a little game with us :) I couldn't seem to get a handle quick enough. I went many days to the lactation nurses, the doctors and spent a lot of time researching on the Internet and books not to mention picking every mothers brain I came into contact with.

Yet by the end of the first month she was sleeping about 10-6 with a quick feeding in between, and was on her way to being a much happier baby (thank-you baby zantak and acidopholus).

God really won't give you more than you can handle. Even though I have whined and cried, probably more than the baby! About what?? lack of sleep, during the day and night, the small place we live in etc..but when you look at my past 4 months without the flesh talking, God's fingerprints are all over our lives and I am right in the midst of the grace I am begging for. For example...

1. The house we are buying, we first saw and fell in love with about 6 months ago. It was 629,000 and way to far out of our budget. After looking at many other houses and experiencing a few big disappointments, the house drops 80,000 and they accept our offer, just hours before a larger offer came in. We got our dream home!


2. I was hooked up with extremely knowledgeable nurses that explained why Presley had so much tummy trouble due to my overabundant milk supply. They set me up with a plan of pumping before feeding and alternating sides from feeding to feeding rather than during a feeding...worked almost instantly.


3. Zantak works wonders...


4. Acidopholus is a live culture that helps her little tummy digest the milk and breaks down bad bacteria in her tummy...helps a lot too.


5. She sleeps great at night...on average I get 5-7 hours a sleep a night....broken up of course


6. I am able to stay off work for a total of 5 months before returning!


7. A husband who comes home and after greeting me, asks where's the baby and spends a half hour playing with her...always asks if I need help in the middle of the night and takes her when he can to give me a break.

And those are the ones I can see...imagine all the ones I can't.

True there have been challenges, I think the most difficult; living in a small place...but when looking at how God has been faithful when I was totally freaking out is encouraging. He really was there holding us afloat. He really did hear our concerns about our living situation and money, He really knew I needed sleep at night and he was so patient while I whined and cried about how hard it was. I know sometimes things need to get difficult for us...at least for me as strangely as it seems, hard times always point me to the cross.

I have heard this a million times, but never before has it made complete sense as it does now.

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way.But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."The LORD replied:
"My son, my precious child,I love you and I would never leave you.During your times of trial and suffering,when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

written by Mary Stevenson