I'm Thankful for .... Cara

My friend Cara recently posted this on her Instagram after having her second daughter: 

 

just laid Callie down for bed… awake…and she put herself to sleep. Those of you who know what I went through with Eden know what a HUGE deal this is.

With Eden, I truly thought I would rock motherhood. After all, I had nannied for a decade and knew all there was to know. Right? It turns out that not sending them home at the end of the day was a game-changer. Not knowing how to sleep train was my biggest nemesis, and until earlier this year Eden was STILL on the sleeping struggle bus. Thanks to my dear friend @wendikit, I was able to get her in a routine before the second one came along. With her help and advice, I hope to give Callie the gift of learning healthy sleep habits much earlier than Eden did. 

Parenting isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to point us to Jesus, the ultimate Father, Who gave up His life for those who would be His. It’s a sacrifice… of sleep, of personal interests, of time, of money. 

We aren’t meant to rock parenthood. It is just another opportunity to lean on Holy Spirit and learn how to love others as we love ourselves. 

She may wake up in five minutes. But for now, I will hold back tears of joy that God has used such a tough experience to reveal more of Who He is. And I will praise Him that this thing called life is HARD because without it, I wouldn’t need Him.  

I love how REAL Cara is.

I love that she let me help her. She wasn't too proud to admit she could use some advice. 

I love that she will tell me the TRUTH.

I love that she isn't perfect, but she loves her Jesus and strives to be like HIM every single day.

I love what she is teaching me about spending REAL TIME with her Father every day.

We can all learn from each other. 

I remember the first time I met Cara. I thought: "She could be my friend!" And then God put us in a Life Group together and allowed us to be pushed together! She's awesome. I like her a lot! :)