"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left
the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." Mark 1:35
Early mornings. For some, those words make them shudder. For others,
those words speak such peace. Five years ago the words " early morning"
made me shudder. I was not an early riser whatsoever...I was a practiced
sleeper! I found it very, very difficult to get up in the morning and
would often go right back to bed after seeing my husband off for work.
When I would get up later, the phone would inevitably ring and my friend
and I would have a terribly long chat while my kids slowly stumbled out
of their beds to a diet of Sesame Street and cold cereal. I would then
rush as fast as I could in great guilt to "catch up" as I knew that
another precious morning had been lost once again to my lazy ways. But I
was caught in a cycle that repeated itself over and over for most of my
beginning homemaking years.
Now I want to explain right off that I am not speaking to the pregnant
woman who is struggling so with fatigue and nausea. That is a temporary
time when much sleep is required and much help is needed to just make it
through the homemaking day. I am speaking to myself and those who would
like to see more accomplished out of their day and feel that they are
lacking somewhere. I was definitely lacking five years ago in
practically my entire day due to wrong attitudes and bad habits. Where
did the LORD begin to change me first? In my early mornings.
I now find the early morning to be the foundation of my day. It is
written in the Scripture that Jesus also saw the early morning to be an
important time to get alone with His Father.
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left
the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." Mark 1:35
"At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place." Luke 4:42
The King of Kings, the LORD of Lords, the Son of God found it necessary
to get alone with His Father early in the morning. He had a busy day
ahead with lots of people clamoring for His attention. How much more do I
need to follow His example. As a homemaker and homeschooler, there are
not too many portions of my day to be alone with Him, except in the early
morning. So in His Beautiful Word He has given me an example to follow
by His Son in the verse above and also by His Homemaker in Proverbs 31.
"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and
portions for her servant girls." Proverbs 31:14
Not an easy thing to do every morning. But oh, so very, very profitable!
This morning was like every other morning when the radio began to play
at 3:45 a.m. My back was throbbing. I felt so very, very tired, and as
always I thought "I can't do it all today. It's too much." But then I
thought of The Word. The beautiful, beautiful Word. So I pulled myself
out of bed whispering "Good Morning... and Help!" to Him in the same
breath and went into the kitchen to turn on the coffee. I got down on my
knees and began to pray (falling asleep twice in the process to only jolt
awake and begin to pray again). Then the coffee was ready and I got up
and sat down with The Word. As He spoke to me from it I realized anew
Who He is and poured out my love to Him. With each Beautiful Word He
spoke, and prayers from me in between (along with sips of hot coffee), I
became more and more engrossed in The Word until finally my husband was
walking in the kitchen. Over an hour had gone by, but it seemed like a
moment in time. A moment too short. A moment sweeter than any other I
would experience in my entire day. But a moment that had changed me
forever and which no amount of sleep would have been worth to miss it.
For that sweet, sweet solitary hour with Him had now set the foundation
for my day.
I know I could easily go back to my old ways, so I pray for His strength
every day as I see my homemaking flourishing as I never saw before. The
Spiritual foundation laid early every morning in my home makes all the
difference in my building of it the rest of the day. Am I still tired?
Many, many days for I am physically weak. Is my house often messy?
Many, many days for I am still learning how to manage it and this is a
house where a lot of creative people live. Creative people can be quite
messy! Yet I now know joy and peace in the middle of it all, whereas
before I frequently knew frustration and guilt. I am now learning to walk
at His Pace, whereas before I only knew procrastination and then rush,
rush, rush in order to catch up.
I have learned that like anything, getting up early takes practice, and
lots of it. I began practicing at the most difficult time in my life for
I had a three week old newborn and three small children. Yet I am so very
thankful that He led me and continues to lead me to discipline myself in
the early mornings. For I can take a little nap in the afternoon with
such peace knowing that a good portion of my work is behind me. It was
done in the peacefulness of the early morning after my Father and I sat
in the Light of His Word--leading me in praise and thanksgiving through
the rest of my day.
Love to you,
Laine
P.S. Oh, what time do I go to bed? Between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. I sleep
like a baby unless one of my "babies" wakes me up!