Be still, and know that I am God
Ps 46:10(NKJV)
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| Stress headache |
I finally understand what my grandmother meant by the old saying
meet yourself coming and going. Some days I’m so busy with my writing and editing schedule I feel bad about taking time for lunch. Recently I’d even begun waking up in the morning with a stress headache. These headaches caused me to re-evaluate my priorities and I realized that one thing I’d let slide were my regular quiet times in the morning.
In recent years my routine has evolved into a set time every morning spent reading my Bible and praying. Now before you think I’m a morning person or especially dedicated, let me set the record straight—I’m not one of those who can wake up at 5am to do this. I’m a late night person, so my mornings start slow—usually around 8am.
But lately I’ve started the day so far behind I’d begun to skimp on my time with God. It sounds awful to admit, but it’s true. And it seemed the farther behind I got the less time I spent—and the less time I spent with God, the farther behind I got. It looks obvious when I write it out, but it took me a while to see the connection. You may wonder how I finally caught on, and I have to confess it wasn’t anything I did. It was Emily Dickinson—my cat.
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| My Cat, EmilyDickinson |
You see, Emily has an unusual routine. Every afternoon, if I let her, she spends at least thirty minutes in my lap hanging out. I can be sitting in front of the TV, knitting or in front of the computer, but if I am sitting down, up she hops. She stretches out, cradled in my arms and spends time resting. She is completely at ease, sometimes in a position where, if I didn’t support her, she’d fall to the ground. She is completely unconcerned about any danger, knowing that I love her and will hold her safe. As God’s children we need that same time every day with God. It is necessary to take the time to rest, safe in His arms, away from the trials of the day. He is always there, waiting for us to come, offering comfort and love.
I've reworked my schedule and found everything fits when I put God first. What about you? How do you make sure God has top priority in your schedule?
Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
I'm in total agreement, Putting God First makes all things come together well. I have the head knowledge, I just need to put it into practice. more often
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting this! I am in the same situation. It is difficult to find quiet time during the day to do my Bible reading and go to God in prayer.
ReplyDeleteI've developed the habit of reading my Bible in the mornings when my husband reads his paper. That way, I know it will be quiet and the TV won't be on, etc. Still need to work on setting aside prayer time, though!
Loved your post. And love your cat, Emily Dickinson. My cats have taught me many spiritual lessons. Thanks for a great reminder of putting time with God first!
ReplyDeleteIt is so like God to use an animal to show us our shortcomings and how to address them. He is so lovingly creative that way.
ReplyDeleteI like to prop my Bible up on the breakfast table and read while I'm eating. My prayer time is while I'm commuting to and from work.
Edie,
ReplyDeleteI've had to readjust my schedule, too, so that I can fit in my morning quiet time and everything I need to get finished in a day. So nice to know I'm not alone. Thanks for sharing. And I love how God used Emily Dickinson to show you His desire to spend time with you.
A right on time thought! This is a must for me since I became a writer; time with God each morning to focus. A few days ago I struggled to pull my thoughts together and God reminded me I'd been a little too busy and needed more God time...
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