I Just Do What My Mind Tells Me

When they were little, both of our children knew they had to stay in their rooms until their dad and I awoke each day. Our daughter, who was an early riser, tried to be patient and wait on us. But after sitting quietly for a few minutes in her bed, her little self grew impatient to get into the activities of the day. So she began her chant, “It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up. It’s time to get up. May I please have a get up?” This was repeated continuously, until one of us gave her permission to get out of the bed.

These days, it’s not my daughter that wakes me early each morning—it’s my mind. The hours between four and five a.m. are when my mind begins to chant, “It’s time to get up. You have to start the day. If you get up now, think how much you can get done.” Who can sleep with reasoning like that?

Rising early affords me an opportunity to get a handle on my day. The world is dark and quiet. The morning is calm, which helps me to calm my mind. Diet Pepsi and breakfast bar in hand, I head to my desk. There, I sort through the thoughts that woke me. I do my morning devotions, pray, pay bills, plan the grandson\’s school day, work on internet projects, and any other tasks that need my attention.  By the time our grandson arrives at the house for his school day, I have accomplished many things. There\’s a peace in that, you know?

Of course, there are some days that I find my mind was more alert than my body at 4am, and a short mid-day power nap takes over. By takes over, I mean that one minute I\’m sitting in my chair working on my latest crochet project, and thirty minutes later I wake up, still holding my crochet hook! While my husband finds that humorous, he also tiptoes around the room to allow me those few minutes of rest. He\’s thoughtful like that.

The other option when my mind begins its morning ritual is to just ignore it, leaving me with a feeling of being rushed and unaccomplished. Having suffered through a few of those days, I\’ve learned it\’s just best to obey my mind and get up. And if I\’m honest, I have grown to love these quiet mornings. It truly does help me begin my day with a good attitude and a sense of calm.

*Bible verse from NASB; picture (c) Claudette Wood, 2017.