Set my alarm for the same time everyday.
Get up. Turn off alarm, which is strategically placed on the other side of the room. (I’ve learned this is my most critical moment in getting up early. It is crucial that I never, never, never, hit the snooze button or lie back down to catch a few more winks.)
Head straight to bathroom and then proceed directly to the coffee pot.
Be prepared to feel absolutely miserable for about 10 to 15 minutes. (But the feeling of misery turns into pure gladness as I soon experience the delight of having that alone time and as I reap the benefits all day long. It is totally worth feeling miserable for about 15 minutes.)
Your body responds to a regular wake up time. In other words, it gets easier.Number one- this post is about waking up early.
Number two- this post is NOT about guilt.
Last year on January 1, my husband and I made a commitment to getting up together early in the morning to spend time in prayer and in the Word.
Wait. Let me clarify. We get up in the same house, at the same time, but we don't pray or study together. In fact, we rarely speak to each other. But we are both awake!
We kept doing it through the year, not perfectly, but consistently. And we're still doing it.
God is faithful. That time has grown to be precious to us.
The ladies at GirlTalk talk about this practice today. Well, not ME, of course, but what they write could be me, except we are the 5:30 Club. It's familiar and it's true, and like they are doing, I commend it to you all too.
It's dang tough in the winter, when it's dark and cold and snuggled under the comforter is such a good place to be. It's easier in the summer, when the birds are awake and the sun wakes up with you and you can even go outside on the porch.
It's not really about the hour. As the GirlTalk ladies say, "The question isn’t, “How early do you get up in the morning?” but rather, “Does your daily schedule reflect your priorities: specifically, seeking God at the outset of the day, romancing your husband, and serving your family?” The purpose of getting up early is to make the most important priorities most important."
Notice- it might not be for everyone.
The GirlTalk girls note, and I do too, that 5 am is not for those with young children that still wake up at midnight and at 3 am.
That's ok.
Youngun's grow, and they learn to sleep.
I promise.
Many people have said to me, "What a pity you had such a big family to raise. Think of the novels and the short stories and the poems you never had time to write because of that." And I looked at my children and I said, "These are my poems. These are my short stories."
