In the Morning

“My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.” Psalm 5:3

This time of year, as I check the cows for new calves at sunrise, I do remember to say “Good morning, God”. I see every sunrise and every sunset and I see and feel the Father all around me. Why don’t I remember to do the same every other day of the year?

It’s not like I don’t have enough reminders to be thankful around me at any given moment. My husband and I just celebrated 43 years together yesterday. We have a lovely home, efficient farmstead, and beautiful Angus cows.

But, all too often, I start the day on the run with a list of “to-dos” a mile long. My job is to be flexible, so my list changes frequently according to what else is happening. I learned to bend a long time ago—bend or break was the option.

I’ve forgotten to start my day with God.

Yeah, I’m not sure “forgotten” is the correct term. I simply started my day without accessing the greatest resource I have. During calving, when I am out at daybreak, I’m reminded of how my day should begin.

“Good morning, God. Thank you for these beautiful cows and the calves You have placed at their sides. Thank you for the land You have allowed us to borrow for a short while. Watch over my family and hold them safely in Your mighty Hands…”

That’s the proper way to start, so why do I fail so often?

The Word in addition to prayer.

If I forget to pray, I more often don’t open my Bible either at the beginning of the day. Would it really take that long to read scripture? Maybe I should get up 30 minutes earlier? That gets harder and harder at my age! See how easy the excuses can come?

God understands.

He has to because I disappoint Him frequently. But I’ve always known He is present with me. My prayers are more of a conversation all throughout the day. He helps me with little things, like turning a cow, or giving me a little boost of strength to open a difficult gate. You can laugh. It’s okay. I feel Him in those insignificant requests more powerfully than I do at other times.

My failure in all of my daily prayers is the failure of listening. I talk a lot.

Keep your heart and mind open to Him.

Let’s practice starting our days with prayer and scripture together. Let’s also practice opening our hearts and minds to His answers. It can become a habit—one which I need to strengthen mightily!

“Good morning, God. Keep my heart and mind attuned to Yours throughout this day as I watch over Your cows and land. Open my ears to hear Your guidance…”

Give yourself Grace and time to grow…

That’s what the Father does…so we should learn to see ourselves through His eyes. He is patiently waiting to hear from us at the break of a new day, not to look down upon our feeble efforts, but to help us become the person He has designated us to be.