“Pray to God, row to shore.”
Photo from iStock
“I’d love to find something that’d get me out of bed in the mornings and into a routine,” I said for years.
And believe me, I tried every trick that came to mind. I bribed myself with a walk on the beach, keeping a journal, inspirational writing, gathering with a discussion group, meeting work deadlines, and the good feeling I knew I’d get from exercising at the gym. I read books on the topic and tried pancakes from McDonald’s.
Every morning, the challenge was the same. I wondered how many times I could push the SNOOZE button before the alarm clock overheated. To count, it’s at least 23.
I could hang in there with my new schedule for three or four days, but then I’d return to the button. The biggest disappointment came when I prayed and still got no results. I told God how I wanted to be an “early to bed, early to rise” gal. How I wanted to be up at dawn and productive. How good I’d feel about myself if he’d change my late night and sleep-till-nine habits.
I waited for him to do the work, until …
About four months ago I began forcing myself, at least some nights, to close my laptop and get in bed before midnight. I set my alarm for 7 a.m. and succeeded part of the time at only pushing the snooze button three times. I was determined to be up by 7:30 even if it meant stumbling around the house groggy and having sleep withdrawals.
I was finally doing my part …
When a friend mentioned Latin dancing called Zumba as a way to lose weight (another unanswered prayer to date). The class met Monday through Friday at the recreation center located five minutes from my house. The instructor was energetic and the workout fun and affordable, less than $2 per class. Only drawback, they met in the mornings at 8.
However, to lose weight, it might be worth it.
Zumba proved the answer to both my tiresome prayers, the one about rising early and the other about taking off pounds.
Our prayers are never ignored, but most often I think God asks if we’re willing, like he questioned the man by the pool, “Do you want to get well?” [John 5:1-15 NIV]
What action might you take toward an unanswered prayer?
WRite wHere I’m supposed to be – When I get around to doing my part, God’s response is better than I imagined.
On the side: 10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It (from Michael Hyatt’s blog, a post about changing from night owl to early bird)
How to Become a Morning Person by Michael Hyatt is another post with early bird encouragement and tips.
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