Have you ever wondered about the length or cycle of a day? Technically, it is 24 hours, and most of us consider each new day to start at 12:00 AM. This is not a new question for me. Several years ago, I wrote a post titled “Where Do I Begin?” As I pondered this again, I once again found the answer in Genesis 1:5b.
According to the Word, our day begins in the evening or at sunset. For four days a week I interpret that as when I get home from work. The other days I consider the evening to start around 6:00. Of course, this time of year sunset is a bit earlier than that but life has to be a blend of desire and practicality!
…there was evening,
How do I start my day in the evening? Well, it means I don’t give myself permission to just crash (normally). Each evening there is a set of tasks that need to be accomplished. These include:
- Dinner – preparation, enjoying, cleaning up
- Relationship time – this is the overarching theme of most evenings: spending time with my husband
- TIDY – Take 5 minutes In every room Dash in and pick-up Your messes
- Release your thoughts – spend time writing, drawing, whatever it takes to settle my mind from the days business.
- Prepare for tomorrow – make the to-do list, then realize that it is too much and cross off all but the truly important
- Refresh yourself – take care of your own physical, spiritual, and mental health with a good night’s sleep
This is not an all-inclusive list and it will be different for each of us. Learn your needs, schedules, and cycles of life and those of your family. Out of that knowledge will come your evening plan.
…and there was morning,
The most important thing to remember about morning is that it does NOT start with the to-do list. The to-do list comes after you have prepared your heart, body and mind to face what the day will bring. My morning list looks like this:
- Quiet time inspiration – Bible, prayer and meditation
- Self-Care – check the blood sugars, take medications, eat a proper breakfast and take supplements as directed by my physician
- Move it! – start with stretching to minimize the pain of getting out of bed
- Put on a happy face – shower, get the face on, and dress
- Head out the door – tackle the commute with the hubby, and kiss him goodbye when he drops me off at work
Only after I have done these things am I ready to even look at my to-do list! I work outside the home (thus the commute) four days a week so the list on those days is a bit different than the list on my “at home” days. But, the most important truth that I need to always keep before me is found in Colossians. If I lose sight of that, my accomplishment means very little.
One day
We are only granted one day, hour, and moment at a time. And the number of our days is in God’s hands, and He expects to make each one count as they are granted to us. Does that mean that we are to be constantly on the go and never stop doing? Definitely NOT! Depending on your season of life, your most important task will be very different.
For the new mom, it may be finding a few minutes to nap and refresh your body. As the mom of toddlers, it may be to find a moment of peace in a noisy day to refresh your mind with a few minutes of reading or adult conversation. For the mom of teens, it may be those moments waiting in the car before dashing to the next activity to read, pray or nap–whatever YOU need.
If you are an empty nester like me, it may be realizing that you are not alone. Your children may have moved into their own adult lives, but your role hasn’t ended. It has just changed. It’s time to learn to enjoy the quiet so you are prepared for those times when they all come home.
Be encouraged today that we all get to choose how we spend the hours of our days. Don’t get so caught up in doing that you forget to take time to care for yourself! But, don’t get so caught up in self, that you forget to look outward! Thoughts for another post…
Thank you for letting me share my heart for home and life with you! I hope you will share the thoughts and reflections my words bring to your heart and mind.
