In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
early in the
morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
Psalm 5:3
I’m not sure when I became a morning person. Certainly it
was not without protest.
As a teen I begged to sleep in on Saturday mornings, and later,
as a schoolteacher, I forced myself out of bed with just enough time to get to
work. When I became a parent in a busy household, I would get up early, but
only as a defense mechanism; I needed to ground myself in my day before the
inevitable chaos took over.
But somehow over time I have learned to relish the early
morning. I yearn for the stillness. I luxuriate in prayer and quiet time and
writing, grateful to watch the day dawn. It is no longer a matter of getting my
prayer time in before life happens, but understanding that prayer and life go
hand in hand. Early in the morning I lift my voice to God. In praise and
thanksgiving. In confession and supplication. In joy and agony and wonder and
desperation and contentment.
And having begun in conversation with the Holy One, I
continue on my way, more apt to be attentive to the grace that encompasses each
day.
