When It Feels Like God Is Making You Cry It Out

It’s 8:00pm. Which means my baby is both hungry and tired. She’s ready for her snuggles and her milk. I’m changing her diaper and getting her into her pajamas when she really starts to let me know she’s hungry.

Hang on, my sweet one. You won’t sleep well in this dirty diaper. Your milk is warming, but we have to get ready for bed first.

I take her with me to check her milk. It’s still quite cold, so I refill the water so it’s nice and hot. Her screams are now escalating and she’s really putting her back into. I need to lay her down so I can get her bottle ready. As I lay her in her crib she completely loses it.

I’ll be right back, little one. You won’t drink your bottle if it’s not warm. I’ll go make sure it’s just right.

As I return to her room, with a warm bottle in my hands, I hear her wails subside, almost as if she’s given up on me. Out of sight out of mind for little ones right?

I wrap her tight in her swaddle and bring her in close as I feed her the bottle. She drinks and peacefully nods off to sleep.

Nights like these always remind me of God’s role in our lives. Our brains are so finite, our understanding so limited.

I know there are times when we feel like God walks out of our rooms and our lives, leaving us crying, stuck, hungry, and tired. Screaming inside for someone to help.

But what we don’t see are the works God is doing, just like my baby couldn’t understand why I would leave her crying in her crib. I knew she wouldn’t finish her bottle if it wasn’t warm enough. And if she didn’t finish her bottle she would be up again in a couple hours wanting more. And when she wakes up in the night, she struggles to fall back asleep, so the next day is hard for her because she is exhausted.

You see? God knows you. He loves you. And in the moments when you’re hurting, when you’re tired, when you simply can’t understand where He is or what He’s doing, listen for that still, small voice. He is always present. Our prayers may not be answered in the way we want or the timeframe we think is best, but He’s there, reminding us that we will be okay. That He hears us crying. And that He will always sustain us.

XOXO,

Ali (Amber’s sister-in-law)

This post was written by Amber’s sister-in-law, Ali. For more real life moments from Ali, follow her on Instagram: @ali8209.