Tuesday mornings are what I call our “slow” mornings. We have a fairly busy schedule this school year, but on Tuesday mornings we don’t have to get up and go. I’ve started making an effort NOT to schedule anything that requires the hustle of morning. I’m not sure the boys care so much, but I sure do :).
On Tuesdays I usually do my “quiet time” while the boys eat breakfast. Whether that’s completing the Bible Study I’m in at my church or journaling and reading the Bible, or some combination of those things, that’s what I do in the morning.
Y’all. I could NOT get it done. I was, very literally, fighting a battle to complete the day of homework I was doing. Once breakfast was over, the boys got down and just would. not. leave. me. alone. Especially that little one. He thinks when I sit down I should have him on my lap. 😉
This is what my “quiet time” looked like.
Yep, those are blocks on top of my Bible study book. Those little hands were playing and thought it was just hilarious to put them anywhere I didn’t want them. I started to get frustrated…I JUST WANT TO FINISH THIS! If I’m honest, I did get frustrated.
So first things first, I got up and put some Tummygize on the little one – he kept telling me “POOOOOPPP MAMA!!!” Poor guy, he was having a hard time.
Then my oldest came over and wanted to tell me (in painful detail) about something to do with dinosaurs that just frankly (and between you and me) wasn’t making a ton of sense and definitely wasn’t a pressing conversation. I listened as best I could…as patiently as I could. Then, he asked me to come play with him. He apparently thinks when I sit down it means I’m not doing anything else, so obviously, I should come and play with him ;).
I finally looked right at him and said, “If you will let me finish this I will play with you.” And he walked away! Praise the Lord!
He came back in 2 minutes to ask me if I’d finished yet…
Finally, after stopping again to change the poop diaper (because Tummygize is that kids’ BFF), I finished!! I finished the homework! I let out a sigh of utter relief and took a sip of my (now very cold) coffee.
And got up to go on about my day.
“Quiet time”, which usually takes about 1/2 an hour took over an hour yesterday. And not because I was just loving my time with the Lord. Because I was interrupted by my two attention hogs (blessings…I meant blessings!).
But you know what? I STILL DID IT. I fought for it and I spent some time with the Lord. I wasn’t relaxed and just so very ready to face the day when I was done. It felt more like I fought a battle.
Except I know that His Word does not return void. I did get something out of the homework, and believe it or not, I wasn’t super frazzled all day (though I think we can all agree I could have been). God is so big and wonderful that even in the moments when it seems like we’re not getting anything out of it, we are. Even though my “quiet time” wasn’t smooth or without distraction or frustration, I know that it was worth it.
Whatever your season of life is, you may face distractions as you try to spend time with the Lord. And every day you aren’t going to have these big revelations or come away feeling like “that was such a sweet and refreshing time”.
BUT IT’S STILL WORTH IT!
In lots of ways, “quiet time” is not so quiet for me. I used to believe that I shouldn’t do it unless it met the perfect qualifications of what “quiet time” meant to me. Now, instead of seeking out the perfect moment to spend time with the Lord, I am trying to get that time in even when it’s not what I envision “quiet time” should be.
Sometimes, we all need some quiet and sweet time with Jesus, and we should seek that out. Sometimes, it’s the loud or nothing at all. Let’s choose the loud time over no time with the Lord. He will meet us right where we are my friend.
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