Tuesday, May 8, 2012

peace in routine

We said our goodbyes to the the last bit of family yesterday.  My sister traveled back with me from the west coast and spent five days with us in our home.  It was such a nice visit.  I wish she could have stayed longer. 

That means we spent one month in the presence of family.  One month.  It was a very sweet time and I am thankful that God planned it that way.  But something became abundantly clear to me by the end of the month.  I thrive on routine.  Don't get me wrong.  I have become extremely flexible over the years but being out of routine for several weeks is not easy for me.  It puts a strain on our marriage and kids.  

I never realized how much routine played in my walk with God.  Yes, we set aside time every morning to read and pray together when we are home.  But what if we don't have control over how our day starts on the road?  What if there is jet lag and sleeping kiddos in the same room and busy schedules?  The excuses pile up and so do our bad attitudes.  I noticed it most this past week when I couldn't easily speak a gentle word to my Bundles.  My flesh had been given priority for a time and it was taking the opportunity to show its ugly head.

It took four days for the affects of jet lag to escape our home.  It is tempting to let everyone sleep in until 9am but then they couldn't fall asleep until almost 10pm those days.  The alarm came early this morning after a month of not using it.  5:30am.  Yes, there is peace and surrender I find in routine.  But what will life look like when routine is upset here at home?  My peace should be found in Christ.  We will have to learn how to keep our priorities grounded in the Word of God even when we don't have control over how our day starts.

Lord, show me how to be in communion with you no matter my circumstances.  I want to rely on you for every breath taken, every word spoken, and everything I do for Your glory.

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