Jesus and I used to have a morning "appointment" on my couch, during Asher's first nap of the day when I could sit down with my bible and a cup of coffee. But my, how the tides have turned. Long gone are the days when my daily tasks fit together like pieces of a puzzle. This multi-tasking mamma is officially a has-been.
I knew that Asher's "perfect schedule" wouldn't last forever, nontheless I couldn't help but hope it would! And alas, it met its demise at our last move. I just haven't been able to get him back into a consistent routine. Sleeping through the night, regular naps, and regular meal times are a thing of the past for this little guy. And thus the end of other things, like a time slot for daily exercise and (most importantly) time with Jesus.
Meanwhile, certain parts of the house have been in a state of disarray. For example;
In comes a task from the good old honey-do list; move one of the love seats (being stored in the attic) so that I can create a reading nook.
Check! Now we've got a much nicer sight to behold from the rest of the house (we see this room opening a lot; every time we walk back to the bathroom, master bedroom, nursery, laundry room, and office). And since Asher naps in his crib which is in the room directly to the right of the reading nook, I can easily put him down and hop on over to the love seat for some reading with minimal distraction- no dirty dishes, toys on the floor, unmade beds, or laundry in sight.
One side note, this is actually where our guest bed used to sit before it came a corner for piled up books and other odds and ends. It was centered on the odd frame-out that used to be a door opening.
On another side note, see the art? My Grandaddy did both of them. If only you could see his whole collection! The painting to the right (in the picture above) was centered over the guest bed that used to sit where the pile of books were. But after moving the bed, I moved the painting as well so that the set would be a "pair" over the sofa.
And the pillows were "recycled" from our living room. They got kicked off of the main sofas when these came into the picture.
But more important than how it all looks is whether it gets me sitting down with the Word of God more consistently. Again, Asher's departure from a schedule has made it a real challenge. But that's life! As great as it is to have a perfectly planned chunk of time each day to count on for reading, the absence of that luxury is no excuse for a distant relationship with Christ. I've got to keep in the Word. But not not just for the sake of another check on a list, but because it's a joy and a pleasure! Not to mention I need the constant guidance and correction it supplies.
But whether I fit structured reading into my day or not, it really all boils down to this; Jesus desires for me to love, follow, and be in relationship with him all day, not just when I get time to plop down on the couch with my bible. And that's my deepest desire, too. So perhaps this more chaotic time is a blessing in disguise; an opportunity to get myself out of that rigid "thirty-minute couch appointment with God" and focus on practicing His presence continually, in everything I do. After all, He'll be faithful to provide me with the time I need for reading, assuming I'm faithful in taking advantage of those times. I have to admit that often I let too many other chores and distractions get in the way. But praise Jesus for His patience! I have to continually strive to be more diligent and disciplined.
Well- I can't exactly say "not a sermon, just a thought" at this point. Haha, sorry! I'll just sneak one more thing in, if you're still reading- One great way I've started to enjoy His presence throughout my whole day is this (something I've mentioned before); playing a sermon two or three times as I'm about the house- and playing it more than once so that I catch whatever I might have missed when out of the room to change a diaper/swap a load of laundry/etc. But as great as this is, I'm still hoping for plenty of time in the Word! There's just nothing else quite like it, this is where all joy, peace, and truth is. Where I'm constantly reminded of the goodness of God in contrast to this fallen world. Praise Jesus for His immense, amazing love and truth.
So here's to hoping this new little reading nook gets plenty of use!
P.S. See my bible studying method here.
P.S.S. Asher started sitting up yesterday! It was a total shock!
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