I thank God for nights of unbroken sleep, but it took many nights of awakenings to cultivate that gratefulness. Isn’t it interesting, how entitled we feel with regards to our blessings, God’s grace, that when His hand is removed from one or more of them we feel angry, frustrated, or sad (or is that just ME?). As many nights in my life I’ve slept through, I can’t remember regularly waking with thankfulness for the quiet, the blankets, the work of restoration. After years of crying babies and barking dog patrols and wee hour childhood vomits and even physical pains–these things continuing still–drawing me up from the fold of my sleep, I have learned to be more thankful for the times when my eyes open first at dawn.
Do you read your Bible in the morning?
Psalms 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
I credit BSF for the habit of my morning Bible reading that was cultivated over 13 years ago. I think sometimes it is easy to get stuck, to seek a reading plan or study or even the proper paper and pens before opening the Word. Those things are useful tools, but the main thing is, you don’t need them. You just need a Bible. An open one.
I enjoy getting into the kitchen before anyone else and believe a good morning here begins the night before. If my kitchen is clean and the floors swept the night before, I don’t have to spend my first hour in the morning digging out of a mess just to find breakfast. Instead, I can heat hot water and make tea and plan the morning meal in peace. Usually by this time I am hearing thumps and bumps upstairs of children jumping down from bunks, and toilets flushing, and babies squawking.
My kitchen chores in the morning are more busy than at any other time. Maybe I have soaked nuts from the night before to dehydrate. Or meat to defrost. Or a crockpot to start. My calendar is also there and I’m busy mentally planning the day or jotting down phone calls I need to return.
Speaking of planning meals, we are overrun with pumpkins and squashes! They are all over the house, on counters, on the fireplace mantle, on the floors…. Thankfully, the babies haven’t smashed anything yet as they wobble about the house, carrying them in their fat little arms.
Most mornings I’m able to take time to answer emails and read my Twitter feed (or post a blog!). And I don’t know exactly why, but making my bed every morning just feels good. It is pleasant to see a made bed throughout the day, even if I’m stepping over landmines of toys and legos everywhere else.
At some point in the morning, sometimes I get a chance to lay down a layer of paper or read a chapter of homework or finish up a project. Most of my art journaling happens in 15-20 minutes spurts, here a little, there a little. From here I can watch my children feeding the chickens and letting out the ducks, and enjoy the dogs romping in play.
Most of the rest of my morning is busy with homeschooling and household chores and caring for our babies. Running around here we have our 18 month old and of course Ruby (I can see I need to update on her!). Today I am baking pumpkin–again (for muffins, soups, pancakes…) and making sourdough pizza dough for a time of outdoor wood-fired pizza making with friends.
Our mornings are pretty happy around here. I need to be more thankful for them!
Blessings,
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