WE ARE BEARING HIS IMAGE, AND THOSE LITTLE WATCHING EYES GET ALL THE GLIMPSES OF WHO HE IS.

We are not that different.

As we pull back the covers and feel the warmth begin to seep out, our minds have fired on for the day.

Our feet hit the floor and it is there that the long list of what lies before us today does an automatic download at warp speed in our brains. We promised ourselves we would commit to waking at the sound of that seemingly loud alarm on the nightstand for some time spent alone– but not really, we both know alone with our thoughts is in fact loud. You get the point though, time “alone” with God, before the sounds of the home awake, and their whispers, cries, and little laughs fill the walls of our home.

We are not that different.

As we tiptoe into the kitchen, we reach for that mug, you know the one that the coffee really does taste better in.

Our pours reach so close to the brim leaving just enough space for our cream of choice to top it off. The warm cup between our hands has already sparked joy in our tired eyes and always moving brain. We know the spot in our home where we can turn the light on, whether it is the tiny hand-held night light or the flicker of the candle– we know where we can sit so that we don’t wake those sweet ones still dreaming– we have the creaks of the floors ingrained in our heads along the way. We sit, feeling like we could jump up and dance because we made it to our destination in a stealth mode that we both know was no easy task.

We are not that different.

As we open up the pages of our Bible, we both know that this time ahead whether we get five minutes or the whole hour we came prepared for– we need this– we need God. This is the fuel our day calls for.

Our quiet time is spent fixing our eyes on Him in whatever verse we are reading. Whoever or whatever is at the forefront of our prayer, we both sit. The warm cup is quickly cooling, we are desperate for Him to carry all of today’s worries and weariness that we already have. We know this time here will fly by, and if we are being honest– we both know how hard it is for us to focus, really. The list that downloaded at warp speed keeps trying to distract us, more often than not, it wins. You and me, we are grateful though, as the clock ticks away, the time spent here we know is not time spent entirely alone. He is here. We both pray that this day will go as well as it needs to, as we prepare to tend to the everyday moments of what lies ahead and pour out our love for these precious children He has given us.

Open-handed surrender.

Our time in the Word and prayer has neared the hour for us to start that first task, but you and I both know it doesn’t end here. We carry the Lord with us today and every day that follows. Crying out to Him as we wipe away their tears, or ours, telling Him how ill-equipped we might feel. My child’s disabilities and your child’s abilities carry a weight we struggle to uphold. But, we both teach them to praise Him and love Him, no matter the circumstances.