Make your Morning Time Meaningful
Does your morning come at you like wild dogs at the chase? If we don’t prepare ourselves, it is easy to let it sweep you away. You wake up with a long list of things to carry out, the baby wakes up too early, you are getting ready with the littles in your bathroom asking questions, and you end up in your fuzzy pink bathrobe hunting for the cup of coffee that you have reheated multiple times, wondering where your homeschool day has gone, then end your day frustrated. Rinse and repeat the next day.
Related: How to Manage the Morning Time Madness {Free Printable!}
Sheesh it wears me out just thinking about it!
Check out how C.S. Lewis so eloquently puts it:
“The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in and out of the wind.” —C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Emphasis mine)
How profound! The real problem of my walk with the Lord comes first thing in the morning. When my never-ending to-do list jumps off the page and dictates our day, holding us to utmost rigor and promptness, and leads to empty exhausted hearts, we have lost the battle.
Let us not allow our wishes and hopes for the happenings of our homeschool day, lead us to rush through these important years of pouring into our children. Let us bask in His presence, and allow Jesus to lead us through our day.
This begins with the Word. We must dig into His truth and let our children seep in it. With His word hidden in their hearts, they have a mighty defense against sin temptation. They will have a stronghold which they can run to, even when you aren’t around to comfort them.
Here are some ways I have found to fight the wild morning rushings:
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Days begin the night before
Jewish days always began the night before, so the next day began at sundown. This makes much more sense than beginning the day in the middle of the night at 12 AM when everyone is asleep. If I have thrown off evenings, then my mornings are terrible.
If I fall into bed without filling the dishwasher, laying the outfits for the next day, or brushing my teeth I wake to a lack of breakfast dishes, children who can’t find their clothes, and a bad taste in my mouth. The mess sweeps through the corners of my house and ends up in my heart, reflected in my attitude and patience level.
Related: 7 Secret Homeschooling Mom Routines that Saved my Sanity
If we prepare for the day during the evening, we can wake up refreshed and ready to keep the wild animals of the morrow at bay.
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Wake up before the animals
Waking up before the kids or my husband is up has been such a blessing. It prepares my mama heart to take on the day in ways that I cannot muster if I neglect that time.
Waking up when the house is still and quiet allows me to prepare myself for the noise of the day. I am better able to give a gentle answer to the 10 trillion questions my children will have, and will be better able to cultivate a love for learning. A feat that cannot be accomplished through barking orders at your children all day.
Having a minute to myself and getting ready by myself makes this homeschool mama feel human.
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Seek Him in the Stillness
The best time to have a date with the Lord is in the stillness of the morning. I never regret getting out of bed a few minutes early to keep a date with Him. This is what the Creator made our mama hearts to do.
If we don’t fill our empty hearts with Him new every morning, we will be trying to fill ourselves with everything else that comes along. True fulfillment cannot be found in pinterest perfect homeschooling rooms, or completely tackling laundry mountain, or cramming in every school subject in record time.
We weren’t called to homeschool so that it would feed our souls or egos, us homeschooling mamas were called to forward His Kingdom by ministering to the hearts of our children. They are our mission field, and if we are going to succeed in the task of shepherding them toward Jesus we have to make sure our inadequacies are covered completely in His new mercy every morning and His grace every day.
The word says His power is perfected in our weakness and dear fellow mama, we sure need Him like this!
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Be ready to tame the wild animals when they rise
I love my morning time to myself, and it is easy to get caught up in whatever I am doing. But if I am using my morning as a tool to help prepare me for all that He calls me to during our homeschooling, I will allow the still, quiet, restful spirit to prevail.
When we allow our days to be filled with Him, we will be prepared to lay down our morning time plans should our family need us. As I am typing this, my baby woke up needing nursing. I minister and serve my family, not my morning time or my plans for the day.
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Let Jesus determine the day
Don’t be afraid to lay down your list of what you hoped to carry out, and give the day to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Maybe your child needs a snuggly day of reading with mama instead of attempting the subject that frustrates everyone the most. Maybe you need to lay down the schedule and let everyone sleep in and rest. Maybe you need to spend the day baking and finger painting, or playing outside and laughing together, or dancing through the mess of your house to tidy things up so everyone maintains their sanity.
Related: Our Daily Homeschool Schedule
God knows what your day will ensue. Like the commander up on a high hill, He can see further that you can. If you seek Him first, lay your plans at His feet and take His directions, your days will run smoother. You will be able to cultivate the precious, eternal souls you have been entrusted with shaping. Ah, what an accomplishment to stand upon!
Tiffany
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