Early Mornings
I woke up extra early this morning. I love waking up extra early in the morning because I have time to sit and start my day in the best way before everyone is awake and running around. There’s something so beautiful about being the only one awake in the house before the sun rises, before my daughters and husband rise. There’s this gratefulness that pours out of me as I get turn on the first light in the house, Lord thank you for the gift of the lights. I get to check on my daughters and husband while they’re peacefully sleeping in their cozy beds and I’m in awe of being his wife and their mom. Thank you Lord for this family. I love them so much. I get to be the first to walk down stairs to get started with my day, thank you Lord for my peaceful home, our safe place, our favorite place. I get the opportunity to sit at the dining room table to meet the Lord and I’m so thankful the Lord has called me His. I get to open the refrigerator and make breakfast. How blessed I am to be able to feed my children and husband, every single day. What a gift food is. Thank you, Lord, for food. What a blessing that we can so easily take for granted. The house is so quiet while everyone is sleeping, and my breathing sounds different. I’m paying attention to it. Thank you Lord, for the gift of breathing today. I’ll open the blinds and see the same folks walking dogs and my neighbor getting in her miles every morning and Lord, I’m so thankful for a new today, THIS day.
There’s something beautiful about a quiet morning.
On the flip side of that coin, I love to get my sleep and during the summertime is when I get to sleep in again. As August is inching closer, it feels as if these slower paced mornings seem to be dwindling down and I’m now waking up with more and more filling my mind:
“take a few minutes to check your email…”
“look at your calendar to make sure you’re where you need to be (even though you looked the day before and the weekend before) just to make sure…”
“it’s too early, so just take a few minutes to peruse social media…why not?”
Y’all, I’ve only been awake for not even 10 minutes and my mind is everywhere!
This morning is a wake up call for me that there’s something beautiful about being disciplined to preserve these beautiful moments, especially as August inches closer. And as I’ve wasted time getting lost in my list of to-do’s, contemplating wasting time on social media, and then rewinding back to my work responsibilities within the first few minutes of waking up, I’m reminded that it’s easy to slip out of the rhythms of my beautiful quiet mornings with the Lord, when I don’t choose to make it a priority. It’s easy for me to think I can do this on my own without the Holy Spirit’s help. It’s easy to slip out of these rhythms when I somehow forget the precious, holiness of these mornings…somehow…
The flesh says, “I’m too tired”. The flesh says, “you can spend time with Him later”. The flesh says, "distraction is the way”. This is not the way I want to begin my mornings as August inches closer. Romans 8:5-8 says that “those who are according to the flesh are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the Holy Spirit". As I’ve begun waking up with more thoughts, distracting me here and there, the Spirit gently reminds me that nothing compares to our time together. It may seem like a small thing here. But in no way, is this a small thing. I can slowly let the most important part of my day with Him slip into other areas, and I’ll even try to justify it. As time goes on, I can tell (pretty immediately) when I haven’t been sitting with Him. It impacts everything in my life. Paul adds to this in Romans, that we “have an obligation-but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live (8:12-13). I feel this.
Today is a refresher that my Lord loves these “small” steps towards Him. “And God chose the small things, things that people despise. Yes, He even chose the small things (like choosing to make time with Him in the morning, and giving my first offering of thought, time and praise), that people despise. Yes, He chose even the things which seem to be nothing….(1 Corinthians 1:28-30, summarized)
Sometimes our time together in the morning is time fully undivided with each other. Sometimes, I lay in bed sitting in His presence. Sometimes, I’m reading and re-reading the Word. His Word. Sometimes I’ll just pray over my family. Other times, I’m making breakfast and delighting in Him, knowing He’s delighting in me. Psalm 18 tells me so. It states that “He delivered me because He delighted in me”. Because I’m curious, I looked up the word delight and I’m blown away at how cool it is that He, the King of all Kings, is pleased with me greatly. I make Him happy, even. I’m so unworthy, and in the same breath so unified, one with my creator. I don’t actually have a word that gives these moments justice. However this experience should be described, all I know is that He brings a different joy and perspective to every part of my day that surpasses all understanding.
Not sure why I made this video while making breakfast and spending time with Him, but I was prompted, so here we are. Before you watch, please know:
I am not a professional videographer. In fact, I have zero pieces of equipment to make this video "instagram ready” and I’m ok with that:)
When our time might look different with Him in the different seasons of our lives, remember that He is still so thrilled and delighted to be part of every single thing you and I are doing (and yes, that includes making breakfast!).
Uninterrupted time with Him is absolutely critical and my some of my favorite time. Even when the busier seasons of life are happening, let’s be intentional with inviting Him into our kitchens, our car rides, our hallway conversations at work and school. He’s with us through it all, and it’s ok if our time with Him looks differently in the different seasons we navigate.
Can I just say that when I’m in the kitchen before everyone is waking up, it makes me think of my mom and my grandmother. What a beautiful picture they are to me serving in the ministry of motherhood. These ladies in my life served their families throughout their entire lives. As I get older and serve others, I can’t help but be thankful for every dish, every meal, every recipe they made for me.
Whether your morning is your perfect morning or it looks different each day, we all can make time to form habits placing Him first in our thoughts, our words and our actions. Here are a few verses to remember as we think about our time with the Lord. Let’s sit with Him and wait for Him. Let’s sing and study. Let’s have hearts, mouths, thoughts and actions pouring out gratitude and fill our daily tasks with an invitation in it all.
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16-17)
“I’m asking the Lord for one thing, only one thing: To live with Him in His house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate His beauty; I’ll study at His feet” (Psalm 27:4-9).
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).
Let’s turn our Eyes to Jesus because it’s all for His Glory.
In love,
Kassie Leigh