8 Ways to Spiritually Thrive in the Newborn Season
Editor’s Note: This article addresses struggles often associated with the newborn season. Its encouragements are best read with discernment and consideration of your specific situation. If you are experiencing depression or other serious postpartum challenges, please reach out to a counselor, doctor, or other professional, and check out our Suffering & Loss Resources and Moms in Crisis page.
My house was a mess. It was a transparent reflection of how my life felt. Elusive sleep, a Mount Everest of dirty clothes, and several decaying Cheerios on the floor.
This is life with a newborn (and a toddler, in my case).
Where is God in the Baby Fog?
I call the season of newborn life “the baby fog.” These first few months, life can be a bit hazy, and it’s hard to see anything clearly, including God.
Most of daily life is altered. The rhythms we set up to ensure we commune with God regularly may feel impossible to achieve as the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual toll of a new life seems to be slowly wearing at us—like a cheese grater—with each day.
Before having my first son, I planned for almost everything postpartum (a meal train, friends and family who would help around the house, etc.), but I didn’t think about how I would continue to nourish my relationship with the Lord. In fact, I hadn’t given much thought to my spiritual life going into the first three months after delivery.
I didn’t realize my capacity for most things would greatly diminish, including my ability to partake in the means of grace that help me grow spiritually. I felt ashamed that I couldn’t give the same amount of time as I had before to reading my Bible, praying Scripture, and other spiritual disciplines.
Is God still near? I wondered, as I clumsily navigated my way through the fog. I felt like I was starving spiritually.
But not only is God with us in every season, regardless of our capacity, he was inviting me into a broader scope of ways to experience his love and intimacy. Communing with God doesn’t look one way. And while sitting at the kitchen table with your Bible, journal, and cup of coffee is how many of us have been subliminally conditioned to believe nearness with God is obtained, there are hosts of creative ways to cultivate our relationship with Jesus and his people in seasons of fatigue and time-constraint. Here are eight ideas for spending time with the Lord in the newborn season:
Listen to the Bible. Reading the Bible can be daunting when you’re operating off of inadequate sleep or you simply don’t have a moment to sit down quietly. In these seasons, I opt for listening to the Bible instead of reading it. I also find it easier to listen to Old Testament narratives (stories are a bit easier to follow along with audibly) or a short Psalm or Proverb. Also, consider trying a different translation that might be easier to understand audibly.
Read shorter passages. In seasons when time is more restrained, Bible reading plans and Bible studies can be overwhelming because you’re often asked to read longer passages of Scripture. If you’re paralyzed by the idea of reading whole chapters or books, consider reading one or two verses a day. Post the verses near places you frequent, like the changing table or your favorite chair. This is a great time to commit these verses to memory.
Walk with friends. God often speaks to us through his people. And in seasons when it’s hard to believe the truth on our own, we have the body to help us remember God is with us, even in the fog. Take a walk with a friend who knows Christ and ask them to share what God is teaching them in this season. Getting outside and moving your body will also do you so much good. This is a great way to care for yourself holistically—mind, body, and soul.
Talk to God throughout the day. Intimacy with God is often forged in seasons of depletion. Perhaps we’re the humblest in these seasons because we feel the fuller effects of our humanness, our need. My prayers tend to be more vulnerable and honest. Sometimes they’re only a few words as I scuffle out of bed for another night feeding. My lofty speech succumbs as I boldly enter God’s throne as a child in need of comfort and reassurance. It’s in this back and forth, this ever-flowing communication throughout the day that my intimacy with God continues to be molded and the gentle whisper of, “fear not, for I am with you,” accompanies me throughout the day (Isa. 41:10).
Set up a prayer chain. It’s not uncommon for new moms to set up a meal train for the first few weeks after delivery or adoption. Consider also setting up a prayer chain where friends call, text, leave a voice message, or come by and pray for you. You can set this up in advance. There’s something powerful about hearing God’s people audibly praying for you.
Pay attention to creation and the Creator. Some of my most intimate moments with the Lord have been on long walks with no music or podcasts. I’m simply silent before the Lord. Sometimes I pray, but I often observe his creation, the work of his hands.[1] The internal stillness allows me to pay compassionate attention to my internal world and the beauty of God’s external world.
Study the Psalms. In seasons like this, when we’re likely to have big feelings, I enjoy the Psalms. The breadth of emotional depth and range of God’s people who have come before me remind me of God’s faithfulness, even in the most difficult seasons.
Listen to worship music. Never underestimate the benefits of music (after all, we have a whole book of the Bible made up of songs!). God knows music can nourish our souls in unique ways. As I’ve studied my heritage and the African American legacy, I’ve learned how slaves used songs as a means of comfort and a way to remind them of God’s truth and their dignity. Likewise, singing in the midst of joy and hardship is found throughout Scripture, like when the Israelites sang songs of praise after the Lord rescued them from Egyptian pursuit.[2]
Whether we have hours to pour over Scripture or a few minutes with a cold cup of coffee, God meets us in our moments of connection with him. He is always with us. His presence does not fluctuate with the length of time we’re able to read his Word. In every season, whether time is abundant or scarce, may we experience his love and presence anew.
[1] Psalm 8
[2] Exodus 15
