In the Morning

Once my alarm goes off in the morning, I immediately hit the snooze button. Every 5 minutes, my alarm clock continues to remind me that it is time to rise, but again I hit the snooze button. I will wait until the very last possible second to pull back the sheets and place my feet on the cold wood floor. By the time I actually get out to bed, I'm already running 10 minutes late and so begins a frenzy to just get out the front door. In an attempt to save some time, I skip making coffee which means I'm going to spend the better half of my day cranky because I didn't get my morning fix. I typically don't have much time to talk to my husband before leaving and if I do it is probably rushed and my contribution to the conversation is usually less than stellar.

And then I go to church on Sunday, where I'm indirectly asked, "Are you spending time with the Lord every morning?" Ouch.

Why don't I spend time with the Lord every morning? I could probably come up with a dozen reasons, but the fact is that I am making a conscious choice everyday to ignore my Creator and stick to the status quo. I am making the decision that I can maintain my own life and that I don't need any help. Until, I am faced with a situation greater than myself and am reminded that am not able and am in need of my savior.

This is why it is so important to devote time every morning to the Lord. It is an opportunity for me to focus on my savior, to read His words, and to renew my spirit.

Psalm 5:3

³ My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

The Uexpected Outcome

There are few times in life when you can step back and suddenly see how everything fits together perfectly--almost as if that was the way it was always meant to be. And most importantly, each piece of that puzzle was uniquely memorable. It all held a purpose in who you are.

I grew up being reminded on a regular basis that I was not very smart; and to make matters worse, I was a very slow learner too. I usually would study longer and practice more than other children my age, just to achieve a passing grade. I knew I was really trying, but it just didn't seem to come easy. I watched as my peers finished schoolwork in a matter of minutes while it took me hours and even days sometimes. At an early age, I had accepted that I would not go far with my education and the best plan was to find a good husband and be a housewife. I was quite happy with that plan, but as life would have it things went differently.

My senior year of high school, I found myself enrolled in a junior college taking everything from writing classes to math and computer courses. By the time I transferred to a 4 year college, I had a 3.8 GPA. It still took me 7 years to graduate from college; but when I was handed that diploma and turned back, there was nothing left of that young girl who had little-to-no esteem for herself or her abilities. Somewhere, that girl had learned perseverance, determination, and an ability to keep on going regardless of the circumstance.

I can't speak to whether each event that occurred during my journey was called into being by the Lord, but I am certain that He knew these events would occur and He used those events to grow me. I see the Lord revealed in His mercy, in His love, and in His promise to never forsake me. I would not trade a single pain that I have endured and risk never seeing what the Lord has to reveal.

There can be blessings in everything.