Early Riser

IT HAS LONG BEEN A GOAL OF MINE TO WAKE EARLY, SETTING ASIDE QUIET TIME FOR THE LORD. IT WAS NOT LONG AGO THAT I POSTED AN ENTRY TITLED, "IT'S EARLY" AND PROCEEDED TO TELL OF MY SON'S EARLY MORNING SHENANIGANS THAT KEPT ME FROM MY WARM BED DURING THE 5 O'CLOCK HOUR. THIS WEEK IS WAS I WHO SAID, "YES" TO MY HUSBAND'S EARLY MORNING ALARM CLOCK, AND GOT MYSELF OUT OF THE COMFORT OF OUR WARM BED TO A MUCH COLDER SEAT IN OUR KITCHEN TO SPEND SOME MUCH NEEDED ALONE TIME WITH MY SAVIOR.

AFTER YEARS OF CHOOSING SLEEP OVER STUDY, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO SHAKE THE MENTALITY THAT STAYING IN BED WOULD SERVE MY SOUL BETTER THAN RISING. MY MOTIVATION CAME FROM THE TESTIMONIES OF COUNTLESS MOTHERS WHO WERE WAKING TO JOIN THE 5 O'CLOCK CLUB - A TIME OF INTENTIONAL AND FOCUSED TIME ALONE WITH GOD. AND, YES IT MEETS AT 5 AM. SEE http://www.girltalkhome.com/ TO READ MORE ABOUT THE CLUB. AND, WHILE I'M A TAD LATE TO THE CLUB EACH MORNING, JOINING AT ROUGHLY 5:15 OR 5:30, I HAVE FOUND A RENEWED SENSE OF STRENGTH, FOCUS, AND COMMUNION WITH MY LORD THIS WEEK. AND, TO MY SURPRISE (THOUGH I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN) I HAVE FELT MORE ENERGY, DEMONSTRATED MORE PATIENCE, AND FELT MORE PURPOSE IN MY DAILY ACTIVITIES AS A RESULT OF STARTING MY DAY IN THIS QUIET FASHION. I AM ENCOURAGED AS I LOOK OUT MY WINDOW INTO THE DARK OF THE EARLY MORNING KNOWING THAT SO MANY OTHER WOMEN ARE COMMITTING THIS TIME OF DAY TO THE LORD. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY PEACEFUL ABOUT HEARING THE EARLY MORNING SOUNDS OF MY HOUSE, EACH CRACKLE AND HUM, WHILE MY LITTLE ONES ARE STILL DEEP IN SLUMBER. AND, THE FINAL BLESSING OF MEETING THE LORD EARLY WHILE IT IS YET DARK, IS THAT I AM ALSO ABLE TO LAY EYES ON MY HUSBAND AND SHARE IN A BRIEF, BUT SWEET EXCHANGE BEFORE HE BEGINS HIS WORK DAY.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE 5 O'CLOCK, AND I KNOW FULL WELL THERE WILL COME A MORNING WHEN I WILL NEED TO STAY IN BED AND FIND ANOTHER MOMENT TO MEET WITH THE LORD, BUT TODAY I WILL EMBRACE THIS QUIET TIME. I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO THE SOUND OF MY HUSBAND'S ALARM CLOCK INSTEAD OF NUDGING HIM TO HIT THE SNOOZE.

FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT SEE - http://biblicalspirituality.org/youcan.html