I often get asked why I get up so early, or how I get up so early all the time. It's easy for me to reply with a silly answer like, "I'm just psycho" or "I don't know, I'm dying." But when I think about my why, it's something that should be shared. I am not getting up at the butt crack of dawn everyday for nothing... there is method to my madness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
One of the BIG reasons I get up early is simply because I am a morning person as opposed to a night owl; I practically turn into a pumpkin by 10:00pm.
I love everything about the mornings. The crisp cool air, the birds chirping, flaming sunrises, yummy coffee, breakfast food, the sweet gentleness of sitting with those you love as the day begins, and the sense of a fresh start the Lord freely gives us. There is truly nothing that beats starting my day with the Lord... the creator of the universe. I get up early so that I can give ample time of my day to the only one who truly deserves any and all of my time.
It allows me to reflect on what I've read or what the Lord has spoken to me, all day. A chance to apply the word to my daily life. A chance to pray over my campus and friends what I am praying over myself. As backwards as it may sound, I think getting up early has allowed me to slow down. Instead of being in such a rush to get around, fleeting from one thing to the next, I've been able to take more of life in, enjoy a few more sunrises, meet a few more people, and allow the Lord to make my heart His home. All these early mornings have shown me just how desperately we need the Lord. Without Him, the sun wouldn't rise, the birds wouldn't chirp, the crisp air wouldn't blow, and our precious coffee beans wouldn't grow. He is the key to all things.
In writing this, I look back in my journal to all of the prayers I've written down in the early mornings, and they are full of thankfulness and a glad heart. Spending time with the Lord in the mornings allows me to start my day with a thankful and glad heart.
Now I know not everyone is a morning person, in fact, most of the people in my circle are not. And with all of this being said, there is not a right or wrong way to spend time with our maker, all that really matters is that you are spending time with Him. People tend to overlook the importance of this necessity, or come up with a million and twelve excuses as to why they neglected this relationship for the day. I tell my girls all the time that they can say all of these big and beautiful things about their wants to grow in their relationship, but until they take action, their words hold no weight. Obviously I share that with all the love in my heart and in a less harsh sounding way, but getting the same point across.
I got a text from a friend that I hadn't talked to in a while the other day, and she wanted to meet up for coffee. I was a little caught off guard, but it was such a sweet meeting, and something only the Lord could have orchestrated. I had no idea the impact I had made on this individual, and was able to share with her all that the Lord had done in my life this past year. She told me how proud she was of me, and how much she looked up to me. We talked about how she could further her walk with Christ, and greatly deepened our friendship.
I am so thankful for all of the wonderful people that the Lord has blessed me with. All of the individuals that hold me accountable in my walk, and push me to be a better daughter of the King.
I cannot stress how important community is, especially in college. Because of these wonderful people, I am a way different Chloe than I was a year ago.