My husband was out of town on a business trip and it was just me and my four kids.
Dinner was done, the house was cleaned, the kids were bathed, and one by one my kids were making the trip up the stairs for bedtime. By 9pm, it was just me and the baby downstairs enjoying some quiet time. Christopher is a Gaffner anomaly, being the only baby of the four that has never wanted to sleep in our bed but has preferred his own from day one and has slept through the night since he was six weeks old. Of course, being my third biological baby, I never hesitated in introducing something to Christopher. Something that made my life instantly easier at times, something that calmed him. Something that soothed him to sleep. Something that he is currently still fairly attached to.
That "something" is what I am thankful for today, this Saturday before Thanksgiving.
I am thankful for....
THE PACIFIER
It was at approximately 10pm that spring evening that I realized something, something that caused fear in the depths of my soul. Something that made me shudder. Something that brought tears to both mine and Christopher's eyes. The pacifier was missing. (enter ominous music here)
I searched high and low. I pulled out the couches, searched through the toy boxes, dumped out the diaper bags and purses. I looked under beds, behind dressers, in the laundry. As the baby got more and more exhausted and his screams became louder and louder, my eyes filled with tears. And then it hit me. I knew where the pacifier was. Earlier that day we had been in the office at church as I worked on something for the youth ministry. Christopher had napped in the church nursery and I didn't recall him having the pacifier in his mouth when we left the building.
I put the baby in his bed and sprinted to the church. We live on church property. I ran through the gym, down the hall, and busted into the nursery.... and there it sat on the floor by the crib. I grabbed it, sprinted back, double timed the stairs to my bedroom and gave the baby his most treasured possession. He took it, grabbed his blanket and almost instantly fell asleep. I returned to the living room and taking a deep breath, finally enjoyed some peace and quiet.
Finding something that makes you content is truly a gift from God.
In the book of Philippians, Paul states in chapter 4 that he has found what he needs to be content no matter the situation. For me, contentment in my home means a blanket, a diet coke, and cuddles from my family. Unfortunately it is not always so peaceful in our home and I cannot hole myself up under a blanket for the rest of my life. Paul, however, found the secret to being content no matter where he was or what was going on. What was his secret? His relationship with Christ (see verses 10-13).
My kids have all used a pacifier, I know... shame on mommy.
But it worked for them and none of them are terribly ruined because of it. But my purpose as their mommy is to teach them coping skills as they grow and mature so that they don't "need" any one thing to succeed or feel comfortable. However, I hope in all that I teach them that I convey appropriately and accurately that they may not need any earthly thing but their dependence on Christ and building that relationship with Him is all vital to their sanity and success.
Today I am thankful for the pacifier and most thankful for the contentment I find in knowing, loving, and sharing Christ.
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