Beating the Sunrise!

By: Victoria Duerstock

 It’s currently 2:36pm and I’m sitting down to write a blog post that my timer/to-do list says I was going to do at 9am.  Where has the time gone? An infinite variety of places my friends.  My to-do list on any given day is a minimum of 25 items and many times it’s more.  Before you feel sorry for me please understand I work from home, for myself!  What a slavedriver! 

I have added some new hats over the last month and I am delighted to have the opportunities that I do.  But with new tasks and responsibilities, the art of juggling well comes back into play again.  And let me tell you I’m not a great juggler!  I’m working through protecting my writing time currently because I keep putting off my creative projects in favor of accomplish the task/goal projects that can be easily checked off.  Sigh…This is exactly why I walked away from a busy schedule a year ago – not enough time to create.  Needless to say, I’m working on it.  

I am incredibly grateful for one thing though! 

Almost two years ago when the Lord grabbed my attention an made me realize that I hadn’t been giving Him the best of my time in prayer and daily Bible reading.  Inconsistent at best, and non-existent at worst, the struggle to make time for this important part of my life was hard.  

And again – I work for myself, from home!  

And my children aren’t small any longer, they are teenagers.  

AGH!

Anyway, two years ago I made a radical change in my behavior and life to settle this battle once and for all and it has impacted me long term.  I will never be the same, and I can’t imagine going back to the roller coaster I was on previously.  Two years I started getting up at 5am.

I am not a morning person.

I need 10 hours of sleep to be a kind and generous human.

But not anymore.  Now there are days of exceptions – but they are truly the exception.  I have a super late night (past midnight for instance) then I sometimes let myself sleep in past 5am.  But ordinarily and as a matter of habit – I get up at 5am.

You’d think after 2 years it would be an easy habit, but that is not the case.  My body still disagrees that it’s time to get up, but I have learned to do it anyway.  First, I can stumble to the kitchen and push the button on the coffee maker because I prepped it the night before.  My iPad and phone and now glasses – thanks old age – are now on the desk in the living room so I know right where to grab them. 

5am is vital to my schedule because without it I am not an obedient follower of Jesus.  I had to learn that sacrifice was a part of the process that I needed to make to get serious about my daily time alone with God.  I generally get about 2 hours on my own before the rest of the house stirs. Sometimes less but generally I get a good chunk of time.  I look at the stars and then watch the sunrise.  I drink a cup of coffee.  Ok ok more than one. I think about how great my God is and I pray through the various thoughts that invade my quiet space.  I read my Scripture for the day and sometimes read from a book on prayer. I pray some more, and sometimes I sing and journal.

5am now holds an incredibly special place for me.  It’s my me time that I searched for for so long as an adult.  Funny though because it’s all about Him and less about me – and it’s what I needed all along.

 I’m not sure how you ladies that work outside your homes do it day in and day out.  

I’m not sure how you mama’s that stay home and take care of the littles do it 

day in and day out.  

I don’t know how women who work from home and take care of babies do it either. 

Frankly, I’m not sure how any of us really do anything because as women we tend to handle a myriad of tasks, but I know I wouldn’t be where I am today in my relationship with Christ if I hadn’t made a radical and bold move 2 years ago.  I decided once and for all I had to demonstrate by my actions that I meant what I said. I don’t regret it one bit.  That’s why I can sit here now writing these words knowing that yes, the day might not look like I planned or expected, but I did start on the right foot and I placed my time in His hands then. 

What a comfort it is to walk with and know my Savior.  I hope you know Him too – if you don’t I’d love to hear from you and have the opportunity to share with you what He’s done for me.  

Send me a message vduerstock73 at gmail.com