Baby Whisperer No More

Growing up, I loved taking care of kids. I come from a big family so there was always a baby to take care of. In high school and college, I started babysitting and nannying. Taking care of children became second nature to me. While babysitting, I was known as the “Baby Whisperer” because I could get any baby to nap for hours.

​I used to watch a co-worker’s baby and she would ask me to move in so that I could get her son to sleep longer stretches. When my sister would come to visit, her daughter would struggle to sleep, and I was always able to get her down. I figured that I would have no issues when it came to my own son’s nap time…wrong!

My son was a good sleeper for the first three months, but that did not last long. He would only sleep while being held or in his car seat. I sought out all the experts: Instagram, Google, Amazon, and other mom friends. I was so focused on listening to the “specialists” that I was not listening to the Expert, God.

When Solomon asked God for wisdom and discernment, he believed God would grant him exactly what he needed to be a wise king. He could have asked for anything in the world, but instead he asked for knowledge and insight so that he could judge the people fairly and wisely. His trust in God led to some incredible revelations and rulings.  Have you ever heard of a leader who suggested cutting a baby in half just so he could figure out who the real mother was? Solomon suggested that because he knew that God had given him the knowledge to be able to figure out which mother was lying. Without Solomon’s complete trust in God, he would have never been able to make the judgements that he did.

Instead of asking God for wisdom, like Solomon, I was stressing over Oliver’s nap schedule. I realized that I needed to trust in God more than I was originally. I prayed and spoke with God; I apologized for not coming to him first. I opened up my heart, and determined to listen more. Then I remembered a verse we talked about in my Bible study, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). As soon as that verse popped into my head, I knew God was speaking to me. I had just told my husband that I thought God was never going to speak to me about Oliver’s nap time issues and then I heard that verse loud and clear.

I was not holding onto that hope and faith that God would help me. I was not being like Solomon; I was turning to others to help me and not turning to the One who is with me and for me. After turning back to Him, I was able to focus on learning Oliver’s needs instead of what all the “specialists” were saying. God gave wisdom and instruction; I simply focused on obeying.

With access to “specialists” at our fingertips, it can be hard to not hold what they say as gospel. There is only One who can give us true wisdom and discernment— God. Next time you are struggling with parenting or any life milestone, I implore you to go to Him first before any person or book. You will learn more by listening to the True Expert.

Memory Verse: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

About the Author

Hi! I'm Courtney Filippin, I have been married for two years to my husband, Brian and we are first time parents to a sweet baby, Oliver. We currently live in Illinois but are hoping of moving down south in the near future. As a first time mom, I love helping, encouraging and supporting other moms no matter where they are in their journey with Christ. I loved reading a good book with a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning, but my mornings are now filled with baby snuggles and giggles and I would not trade that for anything in the world!

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