Monday, March 5, 2012

When Mornings Matter

One of my goals in Welcoming 2012 was to make our marriage a high priority. Last week, as I read this encouraging article about sticking with a bed time, God convicted me about how important my presence in the morning is to David.

I know he cherishes the time we spend chatting over coffee, planning out our day and even just reading the comics together. It makes him feel loved when I make his lunch, even though it's usually just something boring like left overs or a sandwich. Not everyone feels this way, in fact some people prefer to be left alone in the morning, but knowing how precious that time is to him (and me), it was something I wanted to reclaim.

One of the few times in our marriage I was awake before David. Definitely photo worthy : )

During our push in February to get the main rooms of our house under control, I found myself exhausted. David graciously encouraged me to sleep in and get the rest I needed. For a while, the extra hour of sleep was a necessity, but soon staying in bed lapsed into a habit.

After praying about it, I told David my intention to begin waking up with him this week. I hate making commitments like that because

A. They require effort.
B. I feel terrible if I fail to live up to them.

I wasn't sure how hard getting up at 5:30 again was going to be, but I certainly imagined the worst.

Last night before bed, I prayed God would enable me to keep my commitment. David is fantastic about putting aside his wants to serve the greater good of our family. In fact, he's so good at it, I often take it totally forgranted that it doesn't just flow naturally from him because he has such a kind and willing heart about his tasks. Me...not so much. I tend to be a grudging giver.

To my joy, I woke up 9 minutes before David's alarm went off this morning feeling...refreshed. Really? After 6.5 hours of sleep? I knew who to give the praise to. How wonderful to be reminded that God cares about the little things and that his strength is sufficient for my weakness. What a great way to start the week. Tonight, though, I think we'll try for 8 hours of sleep : )

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