“Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience.”
~ Romans 8: 24-25

Who hopes for what he sees? God understands the man and woman He created. He knew we would need to trust Him, so He created challenges that taught us to wait, taught us to trust Him in the wait–over big things and little things. Some big things I waited over? A husband, our second child, the first day of my husband’s life-threatening diagnosis and his final hospital visit at the end of that journey (You can read about that here: (Living Between Crucifixion and Resurrection). However, building soul-muscle memory for trusting to hope is from the little challenges, the daily challenges, some as simple as putting a child to nap.

One of my daughter-in-laws calls me The Sleep Whisperer. I could get her boys to sleep when no one else could. When my newest granddaughter was born in January, she told me I needed to show my other daughter-in-law, this new, sweet mother with this new precious daughter, how I do it. Some things are all about timing.

Sleep Whispering is all about timing, all about patience, all about breathing deeply in the wait–not gasping, grasping, impatient breaths. Simply, evenly, in and out breaths that don’t betray a hurry-up spirit.

To be a Sleep Whisperer, you have to believe they will nap more than they believe they will nap. That translates into determination, conviction, for faith in what you hope. Even when wide, wakeful eyes look directly at you, defying, determined to not let you win. My faith in the hope of their nap must outlast their belief they don’t need a nap. The stamina of age over youth prevails here, only if your determination outweighs theirs.

However, if any evidence, any sense, any vibe of Hurry Up, whether physical or emotional emanates from me, it delays their ability to power down, to let their emotions slide into rest, and let stillness infuse every limb, even little fingers, which are often the last part of a child to succumb to sleep.

When they were babies, both my boys and my grands, I would sing them to sleep. When they became old enough for a book, we read books or sang a family version of Ten-in-the Bed. With the grands today, I play my Andre Bocelli playlist after the singing or reading.

When they were babies, I would gently pat their backs with my special Muddy pat until I heard them finally take a deep breath, signaling they had plunged firmly into sleep. Even at 5 or 6, when a nap is needed, I sit beside them, waiting, my eyes closed, refusing to allow hurry into my mind or emotions or impatient fingertips. I don’t read or turn on my phone. I wait in expectation of that deep intake of breath, that stillness that comes with sleep.

Then I can get back to the busy that needs getting to, whether it’s a phone interview, sending out questionnaires for articles, or whittling a newspaper article from 3,300 words to 1,500 words. Or maybe it’s the dishes, laundry needing folding, photos needing editing.

Keeping the Spirit of Hurry Up at bay takes intentionality, self-control, keeping thoughts of what needs to be done in 15 to 30 minutes pressed back until sleep comes for a child and a pocket of time opens up for me. The atmosphere of home maintains its comfort. My emotions, my spirit, my body don’t feel jagged with frustration, behindness, all the emotions that work hard to steal peace.

It’s being patient because though I don’t see it, I wait as though it is assured. . . shamelessly hoping that it will happen, learning to do it with the little things, like nap time strengthens me too do it with big things.

Learning how to wait and not let impatience into the room, into the house, into the car, into the next 20 minutes uses the same skillset as Sleep Whispering. Stilling the heart, mind and emotions doesn’t just affect our own hearts. It affects those around us, like children needing to sleep.

Being a Sleep Whisperer. . . it’s all about timing and how to live in that time. Not just about sleep, but about running 15 minutes late, about living in the wait of a prayer sent out, about trusting God’s promises, about all those hopes we stand on the porch steps of our soul looking for daily like the prodigal’s father looking for his son to return, even about waiting to be invited to show a new mom you love your Super Power.

We all need to learn how to live God’s kind of a hope walked out/lived out with patience until we see the evidence of that for which we hoped. Are you struggling to live patience? Are you battling that Spirit of Hurry Up? While I was looking for a definition of patience that hit the right spot in my heart, I came upon this article, “Understanding Patience: A Detailed Explanation” by Richard Mattingley. I loved it. I thought you might, too.

Remember Me Monday: #138 Link-up

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
.    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week!

Link Up Below:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!Click here to enter

Places I’m Linking at This Week:
  Instaencouragements, Legacy Link-Up, 
Let’s Have Coffee Wednesday 
Recharge Wednesday, Scripture & a Snapshot
 Grace&Truth, Sweet Tea & Friends