As all the hustle and bustle of summer begins I find the change of seasons and schedule refreshing. I am one who loves change. I thrive in it actually. When you have three children 4 and under you need routine and structure. It is imperative for a peaceful home but within that "daily schedule" I love the tides of change. So much of my time is consumed with meeting every little tender need, cutting the crust off PB and J's, changing band aids, filling up blow up pools with water, changing diapers, potty training my son, ballet practice, swim lessons, dinner, baths, unexpected ER visits for my son because he needs stitches, bathing them again, washing clothes, running back to the grocery store, caring for my husband, and somehow trying to love on friends and family and care for those in need there isn't much time for me.
I have gotten in the habit lately of feeling a little more entitled than I should. My kids should not need anything past 8pm, I should not have to fold one more piece of laundry after 8:30, I should be able to have a quiet time in the morning because I get up at 6am, why is the baby now waking up at 6:15, and so on and so on. And you know what is so funny? In the midst of my grumbling Saturday morning at 6:10am I grabbed a bottle, stomped upstairs, and in the stillness of the moments my daughter smiled back at me, took her bottle and then said "hi", the Lord answered me.
In His quiet perfect voice He whispered, "if you want time with me then get up earlier."Most of the time when God speaks it is a quiet whisper. God could yell, split open heaven, or send lightning down to get my attention. But He didn't. He whispered to me and said "stop complaining and get up earlier".
This summer I am doing my own bible study in Nehemiah. What an amazing book of the Bible. So much truth in how Nehemiah viewed God. Nehemiah saw a need and he prayed. God answered him 4 months later. While Nehemiah prayed he was actively waiting. He was anticipating that when God moved and spoke he would and should be ready.
That simple truth spoke to me in this way: do the work. Anything that matters and has importance requires work. I so desire to spend time with the Lord each morning. So, I need to do the work. I need to get up earlier. God didn't answer me with some big, long detailed explanation but a simple truth. Get up and do it. What is also interesting about what God told me is that I feel He was speaking into many areas of my life. I am by nature a worker bee. Go go go... So as you can imagine when I feel God telling me to "do the work" it sends me into a great state of excitement. What it means I don't know. I will just pray and actively wait. Nehemiah modeled this so well. This study is incredible. I can't wait to share more this summer.
More frequent posts are coming we promise!
With great joy,
Leeanne
" I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work."
Nehemiah 2:18
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