my {early morning} quiet time

Before I was married & before I had kids, I was great at doing my devotions. I was living in Seattle and would just grab my Bible and journal and head to one of my favorite spots.

Usually I'd walk to my favorite coffee house or the little private garden that was open for the neighborhood to enjoy. Sometimes I'd even take the ferry across to the San Juan islands just to delight in some time alone.

In all, it was pretty easy.

{my little spot in Queen Anne}

I had no idea how hard consistency would be once children entered the picture.

My quiet time and Bible reading fell to the wayside for a long stint as I could barely cope with life having a six-month old and being pregnant again.

Then suddenly I had a 1 year old and an infant. Then suddenly I had a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and a very malnourished and sick 5 month old. And then we added a 6 year old into the mix.

. . Just when I thought it'd get easier, it got busier instead! . .

One day, in an exhausted effort to read my Bible, I came across this verse:

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Deuteronomy 26:2

²take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name.

. . . . . . . . .

Firstfruits. Well, I didn't have a lamb or grain to give, but I certainly had my first fruits of time. At that point however, I simply couldn't get up any earlier. Not all of my children were sleeping through the night at that point. I was so sleep-deprived and exhausted already that there was no way. NO WAY. I could get up earlier.

{I stack my Bible, workbook, journal, etc all together so I'm not searching every morning}

I felt the Lord direct me, saying to give my first fruits during naptime. Rather than scurrying through the house cleaning up, doing laundry, and the ever constant stream of dishes, I was called to FIRST sit and be with Him. Then do my tasks AFTER.

About a year ago, I felt God trying to stretch me, pushing me toward waking up earlier {typically 5am} and spending time with Him then instead {thankfully everyone's sleeping patterns are better now!}.

. . . . . . . . .

Psalm 5:3

³In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

. . . . . . . . .

People seem rather shocked that I rise several hours before my children. Assuming I'm some sort of crazy Morning Person, they always announce to me, "oh I could neeeever do that. I'm just too tired. I need my sleep."

Oh if you only knew, I want to tell them!

I so struggle getting up in the morning. Ben says I'm just like the kids...exhausted in the evening yet forced to actually crawl into bed. I want to stay up! I don't know why. I'm just a Night Person, I always have been. So when my alarm chimes, I just want to cozy even deeper into my blankets and enjoy the warmth of my bed.

Get up! Get up, I urge myself!!

Grab your Bible & make a coffee...go!! I tell myself as I convince my sleepy body to push back the covers.

Every morning I ask myself:

What's more important, my relationship with Christ or with my pillow?

My day is genuinely so much better once I've started my it in the Word & in prayer. My attitude is better, I'm more focused, more joyful, less likely to snap at my kids and husband. Even Ben notices it.

. . . . . . . . .

So what do I do?

I've found that if I'm not going through some sort of actual study, I just flip through the Bible, reading...yet not really feeling connected and pressed in tightly with the Father. Almost a waste of both of our times.

Right now I'm going through Beth Moore's study on David.

I also recently went through a fantastic study by Priscilla Shirer, One in a Million.

{Some of these have videos that go with them, but don't feel you must watch them if you're unable. They're a bonus to be sure, but the workbook itself is rich and deep & in my opinion, the better of the two for my walk with Him.}

My mind often races, full of the things I need to do, groceries I need to buy, and ideas I have to make. So I've learned to have a journal next to me. Once I quickly scribble down whatever it is that's rattling through my brain, keeping me from truly being able to concentrate, I can move on and move closer in my time with my Lord.

So here I sit, every morning...all wrapped up in my pink cashmere blanket {the 1st gift Ben ever gave me when we were dating. I had surgery & he wanted me to be cozy and comfortable afterward. Sure love him.} & ready to start yet another day with Him as my firstfruit.

Just remember that it's constant practice. Don't have unreal expectations for yourself, you'll just end up fizzling out and doing nothing. Figure realistic goals for your quiet time - whether in the morning, or whenever the Lord is leading you to do it.