I used to be a morning person. I’m talking annoying morning person. I’d literally spring out of bed, race to the shower, get dressed and eat breakfast and bound out of the house before anyone was even awake. My favorite job? Barista at a small coffee shop. I would be the only one there during my shift and got to socialize with all the locals. I was a fresh Christian and on the forefront of my mind was that I had the ability to determine how somebody’s day would go. So I’d smile and speak kind, loving words. Praying continually. Enjoying every moment I could make another person smile.
And then I had kids.
And now I was the one who needed the coffee.
I miss those days and how easy it was to start my day off right. How I had enough energy and compassion to encourage others as well. Where did that fire go?
I’m happy to say that through the encouragement of a dear friend I have been waking up every morning to read the Bible. Actually, a small group of us have been. We e-mail each other every morning and let the others know that we are awake and tell what we are reading from the Bible. And can I tell you how encouraging it is to have this beautiful accountability? We are all moms with two or more children. There have definitely been times my little ones have hobbled down the stairs in the wee hours while I’m trying to read. That’s ok. If I have to stop then I’ll continue in the afternoon but usually they’re kind enough to sit on the couch or at the table and wait for breakfast. Or I sneakily distract them into doing something else in order to buy myself a few extra minutes.
This all began from the blog Inspired to Action.
She has a wonderful e-book that explains how to create a morning plan. God bless her, she has exercise in there. I’ll try and add that in come October. Baby steps, right? Can I tell you that I’m slowly feeling that spring coming back into my step? Without an alarm clock the Holy Spirit has been waking me at 6:27. Every. Single. Morning. I love it! But most of all I love that I’m back in His word! I so easily allowed my exhaustion to keep me away from reading. So many excuses to choose from. I’ll read after the laundry. After homeschool. After dinner. After bathtime. Oh I’ll read tomorrow. But tomorrow would bring the same excuses. A terrible cycle that seemed unbreakable. Until a sweet soul, determined to not allow the needs of the world get between her and God, invited a few of us to hold each other accountable every morning.
Do you know of a few friends whom you could join together with? Would you be willing to be the encourager? The one that re-ignites a tired mothers passion for the Lord? Send that email invitation out. Make that phone call. Hold each other accountable and encourage each other in your walks with the Lord. It will change your days!
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)
