The kids stayed overnight on Saturday. Brody hung out with Papa, gathering wood for the wood pile, while Lilli spent the afternoon and evening at the barn with her Aunt Maddie. By the time they made their way in, I was ready with their dinner, and then corralled them for bath.

Brody recently transitioned into a “big boy” bed at home, and after a few weeks of getting used to it, we were ready to implement the transition here. Up until now, he’s been in a pack-n-play in the laundry room, while Lilli has occupied the top bunk of their bunk beds. Because he is very loud as he puts himself to sleep, doing this rocking thing that he’s done since he was an infant, we decided to let Lilli sleep in the guest room (which shares a Jack-and-Jill bath) the first few times until he gets used to it.

They were both excited about this…at first. When it came right down to it, however, Brody wasn’t used to the room. He wanted his “Sissy.” He wanted his Mimmie. He called for his Mommy. He rocked and came out of the room, crying because nobody came to him. Then, after he finally went to sleep, he must’ve still rocked in his sleep and made noise during the night because it kept Lilli up (we don’t hear him from our room unless he’s yelling or crying). Finally, they both awoke, bleary-eyed, at a considerably pre-dawn hour.

Over the last year, Brody’s transitioned away from a pacifier, away from diapers, and now away from a crib. It’s been tough growing up and having to leave what were all very comfortable things for him. While we’ve all made a big deal about the new and the “big boy,” he quickly discovered that all that glitters is not gold.

Isn’t that the way? We can be very, VERY comfortable where we are in life. We can see others’ growth around us, see them stretching and reaching outside their comfort zone to attain a personal goal, or to claim the calling to which they feel led, and, heck, we might be feeling a tug of our own. But we LIKE it where we are, and leaving some of that behind to grow?? Well, that would be HARD.

There comes a time when we have to face facts. We’ve become a little large for the pack-n-play. The pacifier’s giving us dental issues, and the diapers? Well, they’re, in a word, RIPE. We need to move on – TO GROW – because it’s good for us, and good for our purpose in the world. So, go on, climb on into that big boy bed and stretch. You might spend a few early mornings in a bleary-eyed stupor, but you’ll get used to it.

One day you’ll wake up, fully rested, and ready to take on the world.

No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. ~ Ephesians 4:14-15 MSG