What the mornings are teaching me

Written on 03 October 2021.

Let me tell you the story behind this picture: 

For years I made up excuse after excuse for why I couldn’t get up early:

I went to bed too late. I like sleeping in. I don’t want to wake the kids up. We never remember to get the coffee brewing the night before. I don’t have enough time.

Finally, thanks to Hannah Brencher’s 15 minutes a day challenge and some accountability from Exhale Creativity, I committed to getting up early for just 15 minutes to read my Bible and write. I began on July 1st and now over three months later, I’m still getting up to read and write.

What I’ve learned is that I don’t necessarily have to get up before my kids. They can still be up and know that I have quiet time. I also learned that the dishes can wait until after I’m done reading and writing. I learned that it doesn’t have to be quiet.

Most importantly, I learned that my kids are watching.

Now some mornings the kids eat their breakfast on the porch while I read. Other times they stay inside and play. And some mornings, like today, they grab their own paper and crayon and join me in the gift of creating.

I write this for encouragement if there’s something you’ve been inspired to try, but like me, keep coming up with excuses. Is there something new you want to practice this fall? Do you desire time for yourself?

Claim the time. Give yourself the gift of sitting still. Be present to your breath and the sounds of creation.

Show your children that time with pen, paper, and books is never wasted.

I’m cheering you on and joining you in the journey.