When I wake up in the morning usually my first thought is to think back over my dreams. I'm a dreamer and each night a story plays out in my mind. Most of them involve me caring for children—watching them or bringing them into my home. My “sleep job” is a nanny or a mom of about 112 kids.
My next thought is … I need to get my coffee, my Bible, my journal. It's my morning ritual. Before I'm concerned about a shower, or tending to my youngest, or before my to-do list starts spiraling through my mind, I consider spending time with God first.
It's a habit that started when I was a very young mom of two kids and living in a low-income apartment with my husband. The apartment was 600 sq ft. and we had one car that my husband used. I couldn't “go away” to meet with God. (Not that I could ever get away if I wanted to with two with small kids.) So instead, I set my alarm clock and got up early. Then I'd go into the living room to read my Bible, write in my journal and pray.
You must know that just setting the alarm was a risk in itself. My toddler and baby slept on the other side of a thin wall. If they heard the alarm then EVERYONE would be awake. Thankfully on most mornings I was able to turn off the alarm before everyone awoke, and after a few months something amazing happened … I started waking up on my own without the alarm. For this former night-owl, it was a miracle.
It was during that time I developed a love for God's Word. The more I read the more I wanted to read, and God's truth became ALIVE to me. I started writing down special verses, and I'd jot down prayer requests too. I'd also get on my knees and pray for my husband and my kids. I'd pray that we could have a house some day. I'd pray that God could use me—even though at the time I had no idea how He could. I was 20 years old and had two kids and a husband in college … still I prayed.
I'd also think about what God's Word was telling me. That was the “meditation” part. You see making time for God in my morning was only half of the equation. Thinking about how His Word impacted my heart and my life was the other part. Christ became real as I gave Him my mornings … and soon I was thinking about Him, His Word, and His truth all throughout my day.
How about you? Do you make time each day to spend with God? Do you read His Word—drink the Truth? Do you take time to think about how His Word applies to your life? Do you consider the changes you need to make? Time and meditation are necessary to allow the Holy Spirit to make Christ real in your life. And once you discover how real Jesus can be that 15 minutes, 30 minutes or hour of extra sleep each day will be the last concern on your mind. I guarantee it.
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About Tricia: Tricia Goyer is the author of thirty books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. www.triciagoyer.com
2 comments:
A couple of months ago, I decided to read through the Bible. I'm up to 2 Chronicles... I don't read everyday, though I've started again. It amazes me how I can spend only an hour or two of my day with Jesus, and read a whole book. I need to spend more time with Him...
Congrats on reading the word Emii.
Tricia, I was just thinking about meditation on scripture this morning. I want to be able to take what I've read in my quiet time and think about it all day. Thanks for sharing this post.
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