Scripture: Ps 45, 47, 48; Genesis 37:12-24; 1 Corinthians 1:20-31; Mark 1:14-38
Scripture standout: 1 Corinthians 1: "25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."
Mark 1: "35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."
His Deed/The Day: More progress on finding the 22-book set for the Andrew Jackson teacher deed this morning. A local bookstore says they'll help. We shall see!
Deedsclosure: I can totally related to the Big Guy and his need for solitude. As I type it is 4:45 a.m. it is "very early in the morning" it is "still dark" and I am in as "solitary of a place" as I can find in our house. Our Miracle Cat Charley (who was supposed to die three years ago from a cancer in her sinus) is sniff snurfing nearby. The pregnant fish Marley brought home from school yesterday is swimming around in her new digs. And I can almost hear the moths lurking in some dark corner somewhere — preparing to burst forth and freak me out one day soon. But everyone else is asleep — including our dog Dot who is probably hiding upstairs, mortified that she had a party in the kitchen garbage last night.
I started waking up early when the kids were little. It used to drive me crazy when they'd start hollering bedside, whining for waffles and a diaper change at 5:30 a.m. I tried telling them that mom was a mean old snake in the morning — as if my grumpiness could be overlooked and appreciated by a 2- and 4-year-old. Realizing the futility of that parenting logic, I vowed to drag my butt out of bed long before before "the others" did.
I'd come downstairs and sit in my kitchen, much like I'm doing now. While the coffee was going, I'd read a little something from a church devotional or just flip the Bible open. Mainly, I'd just sit and stare and wait for the coffee to kick in. I prayed and begged God to help me not get on my last nerve. I willed for some direction on being a cheerful mommy until afternoon naps. The darkness, the solitude — the quiet — were blissful and life-changing.
They continue to create a happy place for me. The only difference now that running is now part of the morning. Somehow, and I'm not sure when or how, I decided that I could muster a little more in the early morning darkness than staring into my coffee. Maybe I realized that endorphins can be a good friend to raging hormones. I can totally get Jesus for wanting to get up early for a little darkness and solitude. It's rejuvenating.
Quiet morning solitude is one of best times to listen out for the day's duties.
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