The First Few Set the Tone
Over at Women Living Well, Courtney’s in the midst of 5 Weeks, 5 Disciplines, 5 Challenges. This week is Spirit.
* * * * *
How many notes does it take you to recognize a familiar tune? Just for fun, try a few:
How many notes did you need before you could start humming along, perhaps tapping to the rhythm, maybe even miming the piece in the air?
No, this isn’t a competition – no prize if it took you only 3 notes when I needed 10-20! But it is a comparison. A metaphor, for the start of your day.
How many minutes after waking up – perhaps mere moments – before the tone is set for the rest of your day? For me, what’s on my mind as I’m waking up becomes the way the rest of the day plays out.
I used to get up at 5:30 AM, put on my iPod, and listen to an audiobook while working out on the elliptical. But first, for a “just a few minutes” (what my children call “Mom minutes”!) before exercising, I’d check my e-mail…and Facebook…and text messages…and…
By the time I got to the elliptical, my mind was awhirl with bits and pieces of other people’s lives and news and problems to solve and emergencies and…and…and… Then somehow I was surprised when the rest of my day was a cacophony of people and events and drama and blind-siding and…and…and…
I still get up at 5:30 AM, but I intentionally avoid distracting technology (yes, even a good audiobook on my iPod!) until I’ve spent time in God’s word, awakening my mind with His Love and Truth before anything else has a chance to get in.
Do I then waltz effortlessly through the rest of the day?
No.
My days are still full of people and events and all sorts of unexpected stuff, just like yours.
The difference is not in what happens during the day.
It’s the tone of my day that’s different–an entirely new song, in fact!–when I start with the Word than when I start with the world.
What a great reminder to start the day with the Word not the world. I needed to hear that today.
I’m a little behind here….saw your “Purseonality” challenge mentioned on Shelia Wray Gregoire’s post today… So I’m gonna to try and follow along. But then I read this post….and this is just exactly how I feel everyday lately. Scattered. Not doing what’s most important first. Getting distracted. Some of it could be my age. LOL Thank you for your encouragement. We all need it!