July 2, 2018

I’m not a good waker-upper.  Fortunately, there is coffee – but it takes a while to kick in and open my eyes.  During the time in between closed eyes and open eyes, only my mind is awake.  God knows this about me and makes the most of these few minutes.

Without visual distractions (because I am a visual person) God speaks to me, reminding me of His goodness and mercy.  He also brings scripture verses to my mind.  He reminds me of worship songs.  He points out people and their needs that I should pray for.

On the outside I look comatose, on the inside there is a whole church service going on.

Once the eyes are open, I open up His Word and see what else He has in store for me.  I wait in anticipation for what He will teach me.  Sometimes it is a mind-blowing realization.  Sometimes it is a daily reminder of something I’m already aware of.  Sometimes I just don’t get what He is saying.

If I have the time, I sit for a while and do a bit of research to dig into the passage.  If I don’t have the time, I don’t give up.  I know that God will reveal something to me eventually, because He’s like that.  His words are never ineffective – they always serve a purpose.

I know He will always tell me what I need for the day because He is a good Father.  I try to be a good listener even when He tells me something I don’t want to hear.  It’s not fun being corrected or disciplined.

I make space in my Bible or in my notebook to write down what He wants me to know.  Writing it down helps me to remember what He said and I love to look back over my notes and be reminded of our conversations.  I want to remember His words because they keep me going.

Lord, you are so good to me.  You instruct me and teach me.  Forgive me for the times I don’t listen very well.  Help me to stay focused on you and not get distracted by my own thoughts.  Thank you for knowing me so well and instructing me in a way I can learn.  I don’t know when graduation day is, but I want to be ready.