Being a Morning Dove in a World of Night Owls

    No one who knows me would ever accuse me of being a farmer, but I've got farming in my blood. Or at least a propensity for being up in the early hours of the morning. Even when I was supposed to be bemoaning the 8AM classes I had in college, I was actually at my best then. Granted, I still slept in from time to time, but mornings were mostly my jam. 

    That's only gotten more pronounced as I have gotten older. I am now at an age that I am awake around 5AM whether I want to be or not. It's usually my bladder that has awoken me. And the effort to go back to sleep is usually not worth the consequences. I just toss and turn counting down the minutes until I have to get up "for real". I've learned that instead of fighting the call to wake up and start the day, I should just succumb to the quiet summoning of the early hours. Sometimes I look like the dove at the right, all turtled down into my cozy sweater, but I'm up and start the day. 

       It's hard to be a morning dove in a world made for night owls. Why be up before the sun is? I counter with why be awake when the sun isn't? How do I make sure my kids are in bed? The youngest needs some help, but the other two are teenagers, I lost the ability to keep up with them when I left my twenties.   I have made sure my kids know what time they need to get up in the morning. It's up to them to get the sleep. It helps that my husband and I are on the same schedule. That we also leave time for us to work independently or have time together. We push when one of us needs it, but we also give a break when one does. 

    When I start my day before my kids do, it sets me up for success for the rest of the day. I usually get a walk or run in. This gives me an endorphin boost to actually be awake enough to then do my personal Bible study. I also do a couple of celebrity crosswords. Sipping my tea while the sun rises helps me set my intention to be present. It's here I find the space and time to pray for and about the people I love. To lift up situations that are big and confusing. It's in this quiet space that my husband and I have time to talk without being interrupted. We also don't have to spend any money on a date because nothing is opened. 

    Maybe early mornings aren't for you. That's ok. It's not about being like everyone else. It's more important that you recognize when you can create space to be quiet. To be alone with the Lord. Here is where you will find rest and rejuvenation.