God cares about your ordinary

For some reason I find it much easier to believe that God cares about the big things in our lives than the little, ordinary things. (And I say 'easier', not 'easy' because I still don't always find it easy to have faith.

But I can pray about a big disaster or a major decision and have faith that God cares. But when it comes to the everyday, some part of me figures he's got better things to do.

But recently my 4 month old daughter's sleep switch seemed faulty. A wonder week they call it. But what it means is if you put her down it basically triggers her eyes to open... and the rocking and bouncing and feeding recommences.

I've been surprised at how little sleep I can actually function on since having a baby, and so I guess I just got used to it being the status quo. Just something I had to deal with in this phase of life. So I while I gave the odd desperate prayer, like 'God, please, please put her to sleep' I didn't really think about him being too worried about it.

Then just the other night I was gearing myself for another cycle of putting her to sleep, I thought - why wouldn't God care about this? It is affecting me negatively because I have no time for anything else; and when I'm tired I give less to my husband, less to my daughter, and less to anything else God wants from me. And if my daughter isn't sleeping properly, it could affect her mood and learning and growth as well. Why wouldn't God care about that?

So my only conclusion was that he would care. And if he cares about it, then I can confidently expect his help.

So I prayed. As I bounced on the exercise ball with my squirming daughter in my arms I prayed for peace, and sleep, and rest. Healing, growth-supporting rest.

She fell asleep within minutes.

And she stayed asleep.

Over the night I continued to pray. Any time she stirred when it wasn't for feeding, I prayed. And she slept. She slept in until 7.30 - the first time she has slept past 6am for a while now.

I don't know if I am conveying the real meaning of this - you may just be thinking - so... your baby slept? So? Babies sometimes do that...

So if my point is not coming across, I hope you will take my word that I could sense God with me all night, protecting my daughter even as I slept. His hand on us was so real to me, it brought me near to tears with gratitude in the kitchen the next morning as I considered it.

God cares about our ordinary.

He multiplied the loaves and fishes so people could do something as ordinary as eat food. Jesus used the ordinary in of everyday life in his parables to explain the kingdom of God. He walked and talked and had compassion on the ordinary people. Throughout the Bible God used the ordinary people to accomplish His purposes.

He not only cares about the ordinary, he created it. There is great value in your ordinary.

And I realised God was also teaching me a lesson. Have faith in the small to practise your faith for the big. Because even though said I find it 'easier' to imagine God caring about the big, that doesn't always translate into having faith that He will actually do something when I pray.

Even when God is calling us on to bigger things in the future, it is your faith during the ordinary that will make you ready for anything God has for you. If you can be trusted with little, if you can have faith when you pray for the small things in life, then you will be trusted with much when the time comes.