Quiet time, me time, morning time, morning coffee…..

Whatever you call it, do it!

And, whatever blessings you receive when you do it, I guarantee those blessings will be multiplied when you involve God.

I get that not everyone is a morning person.  Because I am not.  But I decided years ago to change my morning routine.  I had been giving myself just enough time to get ready (and get my kids ready) before grabbing whatever was handy for breakfast before running out the door in a frenzy.  That worked, but gosh, what I mess (emotionally, mentally, and spiritually) I was.  I just chalked it up to I have three kids, girls at that, so running around like mad women for an hour each morning was just what we were supposed to do. 

Where are my khakis? 

I need money for a spirit shirt. 

My chromebook didn’t charge last night!

“Sister-name” never puts anything back!

Can you pick-up today?

Do we have time for Starbucks?

I KNOW some of you reading this can relate! 

I didn’t have time to deal with all that!  I was busy applying my lipstick and hoping my outfit was clean (and not wrinkled). So many times I walked into work and into my day frazzled. 

So, one summer I read a cheesy book about “productive” people.  I felt like I was productive; my husband and I had good jobs, we were raising a family, we did the things we were supposed to do, but I was running on empty most days.  One of the chapters in the book talked about getting up one hour earlier to do all the “time-suckers” like check emails, go over schedules, etc. that made it difficult to start your day with the real work. 

So, I tried it.  Just to give myself a little time to get myself together.  I didn’t feel like I “had” to answer emails or the things that the book covered, but I did do it. And, I had a cup of coffee, by myself, in the quiet of the morning.  

Just me. And my coffee.

And, then I decided to bring God in… a little at first.

I committed to reading a devotion. A short one. Every morning.

Just me. And my coffee. And a devotion.

And, then I decided to bring God in …. a little more.

I started a gratitude journal.  I would write and say a prayer of thanksgiving for THREE things each morning after I read my devotion.

Just me. And my coffee. And a devotion. And a gratitude journal.

And, then I decided to bring God in…. a little more.

I started reading my Bible, really reading it.  Sometimes with a plan, sometimes just random. Knowing that God was speaking to me through scripture.

Just me. And my coffee. And a devotion. And a gratitude journal. And the Bible.

And, then I decided to bring God in…. a little more.

I began to listen to praise music while I was doing all the things.

Just me. And my coffee. And a devotion. And a gratitude journal. And the Bible. And praise music.

You might have noticed that talking to God (praying) is not mentioned in the things.  That is because the more I brought Him in, the communication was more and more constant. It’s not one of the things I do in isolation, I continually call on Him, thank Him, chat with Him during my entire morning time (during my entire day actually).  He is right there with me.  At the kitchen table. Every morning.

Just me. And my coffee. And a devotion. And a gratitude journal. And the Bible. And praise music. AND GOD!

I’m not sure about my productivity now that I get up an hour earlier.  But I am sure about how I start my day with the Lord!  That first hour (and sometimes more when I am not working) of the day is my favorite. 

Now, this was not a cure-all for all the morning whirlwinds, because they still happened.  And, it didn’t turn all my anxiety and hurry to calm and positivity, but it helped.  I started looking forward to that hour, and my morning did not seem as rushed. 

Maybe my original intention had been productivity and peace, but my result ended up with a closer relationship with my Lord. And, what a blessing that has been.

I no longer have school-age girls to get ready or struggle to get out the door on time.  But I still have at least an hour every morning ….

 Just me. And my coffee.

And a devotion, that has turned more into a study.

And a gratitude journal. I have filled multiple notebooks with everything from daily blessings that I don’t want to take advantage of to amazing instances of God’s goodness.

And the Bible. I have found that I LOVE the old testament stories!

And praise music. Chris Tomlin, For King and Country, Kari Job, Hillsong United, Matthew West, Natalie Grant, just to name a few.  God can really set me straight some mornings with the lyrics to these songs.

And GOD!!

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8 (NIV)