A plug for rising early

No, I don't think 6:30 is too early to be checking your email.


You may think this is a reflection on computer addiciton in my life. Far from. I stare at a computer all day - I'm not one to get a jump on staring before I go to work, nor do I get particular pleasure out of more staring when I come home. I get on to take a look at my calendar which is kept online to make sure I'm attacking my day before it attacks me, and I do take a look at my email.


Well, Wednesday morning I got on and noticed an email from my mentor. 2 down, 5 to go! it read. Apparently a stomach virus was ripping through the family of 7. "If you have any chicken noodle soup, saltines, or Gaterade you aren't using, we'll take 'em..." she said at the end of her email.

I turned to my husband. "You up for a mercy run?" I asked, reading him the email. We proceeded to make chicken soup, run out for saltines and Gaterade, and drop them by the afflicted family - all before we left for work at 8:00.

There are many reasons to get up early. There is a biblical precedent of peopel rising early to seek the Lord before they started their day. Jesus did it (Mark 1:35. Everyone Christian woman's homegirl, the Proverbs 31 Woman does it (Prov. 31:15). King David did it (Psalm 5:3). This is by far the most compelling reason to get up - you get to fuel up on God's word and promises before you launch into a day where everything you know to be true about God may be challenged by your percieved circumstances and your flesh. It's absolutely critical that we see the danger of entering our day without a big gulp of God's promises, instead of going into our day unprepared and suffer for it (Ps 22:3)

Another reason is simply that we are sowing to discipline when we deny the desires of our flesh to stay in bed in the mornings - and, just as crucially, staying up late the night before. This is where the battle is won or lost for me. It's important to be properly rested by the time we plan to rise early, whatever that looks like for our season. Of course there will be mornings when circumstances keep us from getting enough sleep, but regularly getting up without applying self-control and discipline to the front end is foolishness.

The last reason for getting up early is that you're available to serve others! My husband and I were so blessed to be able to help our friends that morning when they needed it - how many other kinds of service could we pour ourselves into much closer to home if we were up and finished with seeking first God's kingdom when our families rose? Encouragement notes? Real breakfasts all around? Time to look them in the eye and talk with them before we all rush out the door to face the day? Doing a little housework so the evenings are completely free to spend with our loved ones? Planning to bless people in the future? Taking a look at our schedule to prepare and pray for specific appointments in the day? I've got a few friends who like short "good morning!" phone calls. The list goes on... I'm sure there are more creative people than me reading this.

Oh, and, for what it's worth, there's always hot water for yoru shower, because no one's been in there using it up before you. =)