The First Tip: Rise Early Pt. 2

Although I’m aware that as young ladies you probably don’t have many things to cater to in the morning such as getting up with happy little children (most of the time happy ;), cooking breakfast, getting your hubby’s lunch ready/sending him out the door for work, getting that first load of laundry started, etc. No, these things most likely aren’t taking up your attention in the morning. But, as I have learned and have experienced way too many times, there are many days when the alarm clock starts blaring oh so loudly that I’ll say, “This morning I’m tired so I’ll do my devotions during--------.” And sadly, I’ll get wrapped up into the many tasks a day can bring and completely forget about spending time with the Lord, and let me tell ya, most of the time you can tell by my attitude if I haven’t spent some precious time sitting at the Lord’s feet learning from Him (It’s not a good one!).

So, with that said, I am coming to you as a sister in Christ who has learned the hard way many times. I’m FULLY aware that getting out of bed in the morning is not always fun. Not only have I experienced much refreshment in my soul during my times with the Lord in the morning, but rising early has provided a little extra time to get a few things done that are difficult to do once a busy day is underway. Sometimes I even remember to eat breakfast :).

It takes hard work to get into a normal morning schedule. I have found that waking up at the same time every morning makes it much easier to get up if I’m not waking up at different times. Don’t forget to find an accountability partner to ask you how you’re doing (Mom’s are great!). The shopping for time ladies have once again provided some very helpful tips that I’ve turned to numerous times when it comes to rising early. I hope you find them helpful and be sure to try them out!

1. Set your alarm clock in a strategic location, preferably on the other side of the room from your bed.
2. Set your alarm for the same time every day.
3. Never, never, never hit the snooze button or lie back down to catch a few more winks. The second your alarm clock goes off is the most critical moment in rising early.
4. Proceed directly to the coffee pot or caffeinated drink of choice.
5. Be prepared to feel absolutely miserable for about ten to fifteen minutes. But the misery soon turns into pure gladness as you experience the delight of meeting with God and reap the benefits the rest of the day. Fifteen minutes of misery is certainly worth fifteen-plus hours of peace and productivity.
6. Remember, that our bodies eventually respond to a standard wake-up time. In other words, it gets easier.