Finding Peace In Early Morning

from Art.com

During 3 of the 4 seasons, we are early risers due to school and work schedules.  In winter months, I get up a bit earlier than my family to make sure the heaters are turned on (I choose not to run space heaters at night in the smaller rooms farthest away from our main heat source) and a pot of coffee perks on the stove top.  This season, I am up early to make a pot of tea and enjoy a quiet moment before the kids wake for the day.  In the spring and fall, I make sure windows are opened up for fresh air and fans run to circulate that beautiful morning breeze.

Our home is a loud and chaotic one when everyone is awake.  There are 3 cats that are wild and loud and race throughout the house.  In fact one of them is yowling now for the other 2 to come down and play with him.  The kids are teens now, with one at 15.5, one nearing 18 in 2 months, and one 17.5, and they are noisy in their own right.  There is constant movement and activity when everyone is awake. 

It is in the early hours before everyone is awake, and my eyes are slowly opening with the caffeine of that first cup of coffee and/or tea, that I find peace.  I can listen to my favorite radio station (KVCY out of Ft. Scott, KS), pray over the day ahead, read a devotional, check up on the news and weather for the day, and prepare myself for the events ahead.  This is my time. 

A simple quiet time in the morning may seem inconsequential, but it can set the mood for the day.  How often do we feel rushed and harried when we hit the floor running with demands as soon as our eyes open (or before!!) from little ones that need Mommy, or the sounds of a pet getting ready to vomit on the carpet, or the yowling of a hungry cat that has a full bowl except for one tiny spot at the bottom they can see (starvation I tell you!)?  The moments before everyone gets up can be such a big help in how you start your day. 

Don't get me wrong, when you have babies and younger children, that season is tough to get a quiet moment outside of a couple hours of sleep.  I haven't forgotten those days, nor do I look on them fondly...no one truly enjoys being a walking zombie for years.  We do it because we love our family.  But we as moms need that little moment to ourselves, a chance to breathe, think, pray, sip our favorite morning drink, and get ourselves prepared for the day.  It's a little time to talk to the Lord and ask Him for guidance for your day, to thank Him for another moment with your family, to listen to what He has to say.  It's time to get your thoughts together, prepare yourself for the day ahead, make mental notes of what needs to be done, and most importantly, fill your tank for the day. 

What do you do in your early morning time?  I'd love to hear from you!