I woke up slowly and in a haze as my eyes slowly fluttered open and I saw a stream of light peeking in through our charcoal gray curtains. For a split second I thought my days were off and perhaps it was Saturday morning, but before I could even form a complete thought I began to realize it was not the weekend like I had hoped. Instead it was a cold, Tuesday in January and the sun should not have been shining before my 5:00 a.m. wake-up-call. I quickly threw back the covers and checked my alarm clock: 7:35 a.m.
I looked at my husband who was also beginning to realize that neither of our alarms had gone off. For the first time in over a year since we had started living together, neither one of us had set our alarms on the exact same night.
Is this simply ironic, or just ‘a part of the plan’?
I believe the answer truly lies in the eye of the beholder.
As I quickly popped out of bed and hurried over to the shower, I tried to piece together all that needed to be completed to get me out the door by 8:05 a.m. so I could still arrive at work on time.
- Shower
- Wash my hair (This must wait – besides, who doesn’t love a messy ponytail from time-to-time…?)
- Make-Up Clean Face (The natural look is in, right? A little moisturizer and just a quick swipe of mascara will do the trick)!
- Get Dressed (My clothes are already picked out and hanging in the closet…so happy I decided to be organized Monday night)!
- Pack Lunch!
- Make/Pack Coffee!! (A Necessity)
- Start Car for Warmth!!! (9 degrees outside, and only about 25 degrees inside my garage!)
- Grab Purse and Jacket
- Head out the Door!
Early mornings tend to be my best time of the day. I like to wake up early at 5 a.m., hit the snooze button for ten minutes and then take my time working out on our elliptical while watching an episode of Friday Night Lights. (My newest obsession…Thank you Netflix)! At around 6 a.m., I head to the shower and when I am finished I then proceed to get dressed, do my hair and make-up, and then make the bed and pick up any little item that may be out of its place and put it away. I then go downstairs and eat breakfast, pack my lunch, put away dishes, check my email, blog/read blogs, watch the news, and spend a little time with Tim and Tebow. From there I head upstairs again to brush my teeth and before I know it, I am saying my goodbyes and on my way to work. To me, there is nothing like starting the day in a stress-free way!
Tuesday though, this was not the case. I was praying for peace and direction for my day as I could feel the stress slowly starting to build in my body. By 7:55 a.m. I had finished everything on my list except the last four bullet points. I was doing well, but was still in a bit of a panic as I ran down the stairs.
As I quickly came around the corner, there was my sweet husband in the kitchen. While I was upstairs he had packed my lunch, made the coffee, grabbed my coat and purse, and already started my car. In that moment, I could feel my whole mood begin to shift as I felt the peace I was yearning for begin to comfort me.
Even in moments that may seem little in the grand scheme of things, God is there. I could look at the fact that neither of us set our alarms as just an ironic coincidence, a burden, or a day spoiler. Or, I could look at it as being part of the plan, part of God’s plan for us. Because of this Tuesday morning chaos, I was reminded of how blessed I was to have such a great man as my husband. Someone who was willing to put his own struggles aside to try and make my day a little easier. Someone who chose to put his wife before himself. Someone who reminded me what love really is during that moment. And you know what? I was pulling out of my driveway at 8:03 a.m. and even arrived to work a few minutes early! Sure, my morning did not go as planned, but I was reminded of my blessings and even got to sleep an extra 2 ½ hours. Win, win!
The next time you find yourself in a panic moment, I encourage you to stop, take a deep breath, and try and take a look at the big picture. Look for the beauty and positives all around you. I guarantee they are there just waiting to be found.
Jeremiah 1:2-4
Questions:
- What was the last ‘panic’ moment you found yourself in? What do you do during those occasions to find calm?
- Have you ever forgotten to set your alarm or overslept, and found yourself running behind? How did you get back on track for the rest of the day?
- What do your morning schedules look like? Are you an early riser, or a night owl?
Im such a lark
too much of a lark?
Im kinda of married to an owl…
he has the alarm panic moments FREQUENTLY.
Ha ha I can totally understand this! My husband and I run on separate schedules too, especially our work outs…He prefers 10 pm gym time, and I like 5 am! Go figure!
I purposely get up two hours before I need to leave for work so I have plenty of time to relax and get things done in the morning. I cannot stay up late
.
Me too girl! Sounds like we have similar sleep schedules…
Some people don’t need that extra time in the morning, but I definitely start my day calmer when I can take my time getting out the door!
Love this post.
How sweet of your husband to help you out. I am always feeling so thankful that God placed such a great guy in my life too. We are blessed! I do know what you mean about the mornings though… I definitely like my peaceful and relaxed mornings before a busy day. I’m glad the day ended up going okay for you! Hopefully today was a little better!
I 100% agree with you, we are very blessed! I wish we lived closer because I have this strong feeling a double date would be perfect for us!
Yesterday morning was definitely better! I woke up at 5 am, got a quick elliptical session in, showered and got ready, then met my mom at 7 for a morning chat at Panera…wonderful morning!
I don’t have to be at work until 8 so I always try and get up between 515-6 to make sure I have time for 1) time to run errands (the bank, grocery store) 2) cleanup the house a bit 3) get my workouts in 4) Starbucks coffee run. Usually I try to hit two out of the three things I’ve listed.
I love the morning and can’t stand to oversleep – but I definitely agree that sometimes God has other plans. Two extra hours of sleep is sometimes necessary and hey, you were on time! Like you said: win, win!
That is a big reason why I like getting up so early..whatever I get done in the morning, I won’t have to do when I get home from work! Putting away dishes, laundry, and picking up messes seem to happen at 6 am in my house too!
Ah! Over-sleeping… I’m familiar! haha I normally get up between 5:00AM-5:15AM and immediately have to start getting ready. Just last Wednesday I woke up — at 5:40AM — to my phone ringing! Such a blessing that it was the school calling about a two-hour delay!
It looks like you received a blessing too with oversleeping…
Funny how things happen like that for a reason!
I like to get up early so that I don’t have to rush. Coffee and news is a must. My husband, however, is up and out in less than 30 minutes!
My husband used to be like too, but suddenly he likes getting up a little earlier to relax. The man who used to roll out of bed, jump in the shower, then leave for work is now enjoying time eating breakfast, watching the news, and spending time with the pup all before 7 am! Maybe I am starting to wear off on him!
Love the verse in Jeremiah. Count it all joy….. Without the trials and frustrations we endure, how would we really know and enjoy the happiness. Finding the piece of happiness in our challenging situations always delivers a more positive outlook. Awesome response by your terrific husband.
I thought you would like that verse too! It is so true that we need to have hard moments to make the easy ones that much better..:) Without imperfections, we wouldn’t focus on the Lord and ask for his assistance!
Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all of us you actually recognize what you are talking approximately!
Bookmarked. Kindly additionally discuss with my site =).
We will have a hyperlink change arrangement among us