Priorities
God is so kind to teach us valuable lessons, even when we're not necessarily expecting it. Today was one of those times. I (Carly) have been struggling for some time with wondering how to prioritize time rightly in the midst of an ongoing busy season. Because, let's face it, being a mom or dad of little ones is just going to be busy... pretty much all the time. Add in being a wife, helping run our family business, starting to homeschool, keeping up with the normal "chores" at home, loving and serving my sisters in Christ, etc. The days are full and instead of living in a constant state of overwhelm, sometimes it helps just to call it what it is!
One of the most difficult things I've found is how to prioritize my time and responsibilities rightly each day. And often one of the first things to be put lower on the list than it should be is my quiet time in the Word and prayer.
Last night was rough. The kids were up a couple times, and we just didn't get the amount of sleep we would have liked. My sleep-craving flesh decided to turn off my alarm so that I could sleep longer in the morning. But then the morning rolled around and the kids were up and I had no time with the Lord before the day quickly switched into high gear.
In the midst of all of this, I had totally forgotten that I had told a friend we would be at the park in the morning while Chris was playing soccer and she was going to meet us there. But, after the sleep-deprived night, we changed our morning plans and decided not to go. However, I totally forgot to let my friend know about the change of plans until she texted and asked where we were. And that is just one of the worst feelings! I felt so bad that she got up early and went to the park and we were still in bed!
She was super understanding, but the thought occurred to me:
Why do I feel so terrible about not keeping my commitment to my friend, but I so easily turn off the alarm clock and ignore my time with the Lord?
Of course He's gracious and merciful toward me even when I miss my "appointment" with Him, but I want to see my time with Him as what it really is: a valuable commitment and my greatest privilege and priority. It was a convicting lesson, but also such an encouraging one. He is not only my Lord, but my dearest Friend, and I want to get up and be there to enjoy that sweet communion with Him each day.
There are a couple of resources that have been a huge help to me lately. One is the book Habits of Grace by David Mathis. And the other is the below video. I hope they may be of help to you as well!