Little Moments

I'm trying to become a better person.  I know, it's about time, right?  I have this goal of fitting as many Little Moments of focus into my day.  I would like to make myself get up at 4:30ish since that is truly the only time I can think of to get a few quiet moments to start my day.  I am doing a couple Bible studies at church right now, and there are readings and homework that I can do during that time.  I also like to read through the day specific entry in this book:

 

To be honest, I have this dream of meeting with a group of ordinary radicals each morning to do a short worship service to get our days started with the right focus.  I am normally such a loner that I don't quite understand why I am craving daily corporate worship right now.  I only have a few specifications.  I would need these radicals to meet a couple blocks from my house, at 5am, in the dark so they can't see that I am wearing my pajamas and that my hair is in its frightening natural state.  Is that too much to ask?  Oh, and it needs to be warm.  Hot cocoa is nice.  Well, maybe I'm missing the point already.

Back to my more realistic plans, although getting up at 4:30 hasn't proven realistic quite yet.  I have big goals and even set my alarm clock last night, but Roo woke me up several times in the night.  I was already awake before the alarm went off, and there was no way I was emerging from my comfy bed.  Realistic, yeah.  Anyway, my first little moments would ideally include my Common Prayer book, maybe some readings from my current studies, and my prayer journal.  I really want to put my prayer journal to good use.  My brain is so flighty anymore that I feel that I should be writing down names.  I have done it before, and it is so helpful.  I remember once upon a time writing down the prayer request to protect my future child, wherever he or she was at that moment.  That was when we were planning to adopt internationally, so I was thinking of a child in an orphanage in Africa while God was smirking and watching over a host of precious ones in this very town.  I had no idea.  

My Plan B for a morning Little Moment is to bring all my little ones into my sacred :) library and let them choose a picture Bible to flip through while I get a few moments to read my own Bible.  We actually did that this morning, and it was beautiful.  Zade couldn't get enough of his Bible so he took it with him to read while I dropped the other kids off at school.  Soren asked if we could please do this every day, and he brought his Bible to bed with him.  I'm sure Roo was taking the break from constant eyes on him to eat crusty crusts from the floor so we'll make sure to pray for his tummy health during our quiet time.

I am also trying to squeeze lots of Little Moments of prayer into my dealings with my kids.  I want to be a quiet, peaceful mom full of grace.  That will take a lot of prayer, I tell you.  When I am carrying a certain 2-year-old to his room for a tantrum, only a Little Moment can keep me in the loving mom mode!

On a normal day, and these are not as common as I'd like, the kids all nap or have quiet reading time after lunch.  This time is essential to my sanity.  I NEED time away from them once in a while, and every day right after lunch works for me.  I sometimes get on the computer (I shouldn't), return phone calls (not relaxing, but often essential), tidy (again, sometimes essential), or read (my favorite quiet time activity!).  I know that is another time of day when I should add Little Moments to pray and reflect and renew myself for the rest of the day.  Jon has this beautiful old Psalm book.  Maybe that could usher in my afternoon quiet.  

Things get crazy again near supper time.  Wait!  Did I say "things" get crazy?  Let me rephrase that, "children, especially 2-year-olds who like to 'help' cook" get crazy when it nears supper time.  Maybe I should find a prayer to read to get me through that time with a smile on my face, even if it is mostly a fake-it-til-you-make-it sort of smile.  I think a Little Moment is needed.  Hmm.

Finally, the house gets quiet(er) with just Brishen and Jon awake.  This is a time when I struggle between my own need for time to regroup and veg and be alone and the need to be with Jon and Brishen.  I feel guilty if I am not spending that time with them, but I am drawn to have some alone time.  If I write a blog post of this length, you know that alone time won.  If a little picture was posted, I might be playing a board game or watching Candid Camera or reading in the same room as the guys.  

Right before bed it is time for my last Little Moments.  A friend sent the link to this prayer template which really fits this time of day.  I also am reading through John Wesley's daily self reflection questions and pondering those, just as the first Methodists did before they were considered Methodists.

I read of having a "rhythm of spiritual life."  I guess that is what I am seeking.  A rhythm.  Yes, that's it.  I am seeking to create Little Moments that work together to bring a rhythm.  I love the idea of a rhythm.

I'll let you know if my rhythm ever gets around to starting promptly at 4:30am.