Fear of the Unknown Part 2

I had another encounter with the same fear; this time with my younger daughter LittleBit. I know that there are so many different approaches mothers use when dealing with a newborn baby, and different approaches work for different mothers.  For me, especially after my first newborn experience, the Babywise methods work best, and that's what I try to follow during the baby stage and beyond.  I like structure, and I like following clear instructions.  To the best of my ability, I followed the Babywise instructions for my first child, and she was sleeping through the night by 8 weeks.  I was determined to reach the same goal with my second daughter.  LittleBit is almost 8 weeks now, and although she's not doing badly at night, sometimes she still wakes up around 3 or 4 in the morning.  Her night sleeping pattern seems to be more unpredictable than my first daughter. This past week, she slept through the night some nights and woke up during the wee hours on other nights.  I tried to remember that every baby is different and also that she's not even 8 weeks yet.  On the Babywise book it said most of the babies who follow their methods average about 7-8 hours at night by Week 8.  This is where my perfectionist tendencies come into play.  If groundwork is laid for how things are supposed to be, I have to hit that mark and nothing less.  I was never able to settle for a "B" as my grade all throughout school.  I believe it's not a bad thing to strive for excellence, but in my case it was more like a selfish obsession that was birthed out of my pride.
Last night LittleBit woke up at 3 A.M. She was making little noises (not quite crying yet), so I walked towards her bassinet and turned the vibrating machine on to see if she would just fall back asleep.  As I climbed back into bed, I was wide awake because I was so anxious.  Will she start crying? When will she start sleeping through the night regularly? I couldn't go back to sleep.  I sensed this strong urge that I needed to turn to my Bible.  So at 3 A.M., I turned on the light and started reading the Bible. I first turned to one of my favorite passages in Philippians (4:6-7 The Message): Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life (italics mine). I needed God to settle me down!
I also turned to Matthews 6:30-33 (The Message): What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met (italics mine). How true this was for me; I do know God and how He works. I was preoccupied with getting it right according to the books (not to mention getting more sleep for myself!).  So what if she doesn't sleep through the night yet? God knows her needs as well as mine, and He knows I am trying my best with the resources I've been given. As long as I concentrate on His reality, His initiative, and His provisions, He will make sure that all my needs and concerns are met.
What I needed more than anything last night was His peace. When I read those passages and prayed, as always, His peace came.  I slept well the rest of the night, and you know what else? LittleBit slept until morning as well:) That was an extra blessing, but I know I will be OK if she wakes up in the middle of the night tonight.  God knows best, not me.  I think that's what this "fear of the unknown" is about; it comes from my desire to have my life controllable and predictable.  But that's not the road that will take me through an extraordinary adventure.  I need to daily surrender my control, and allow God to unfold His extraordinary miracles in my life.