There was a time in my life when I had next to no responsibilities, and I could almost always fit in daily prayers and Bible reading. And then I had Elias. A few months ago he could sit and play calmly by himself for at least 1 hour a day and I could use that time to pray and read the Bible.
And now…
He can walk. He can climb, he can get into EVERYTHING!!!
and it is not as easy to find time.
I know of many mothers that wake up early in the morning to have that time to themselves, and that’s awesome. But that doesn’t work for me. My boy is not on a set schedule. Occasionally he will sleep through the night and wake up at 7am. More often than not he will be up between 5 and 6am. I cannot set a time in the morning that will be just for me to curl up in a chair and read the Bible and pray. Not only would the time be impossible to figure out, but I also have extreme difficulty focusing in the morning. I could stay awake in the mornings to read, but would get little to nothing out of what I read.
My husband’s work schedule is different every week, and many days he works open-close at his store, so I can’t ever have a “set” time that he will watch Elias for me so I can study and pray.
Another option would be to wait and read/pray in the evenings after Elias has gone to bed. This works sometimes, but often, after bedtime I need to cook dinner for my hubby and then its all I can do to stay awake until he gets home around 9:30, eat with him and roll into bed. . .
Nap time seems like the obvious solution, but so many times there are other things that creep up and grab my attention during naptime, things that I cannot do when he is awake because he will destroy part of what I’m doing, or it requires too much attention and I would not be able to keep my eye on him etc. etc. I am trying to prioritize better and put bible reading/prayer at the top of the list during nap time, but honestly that does not always happen, and oftentimes I forget until he is whimpering and ready to get up from his nap.
Yes there are excuses here, yes, I need to be more committed. But I am also working on finding the time that works best for me, instead of just fitting it in wherever I can. It is great to be able to “find time” during the day to read and pray, but I crave a consistent time that I would know _____ is my time to read and pray.
Today I got creative. I had forgotten to read/pray during nap time, so when I put Elias in for his bath I decided to use that time as Bible reading time. It actually worked quite well. Elias is at the age where he likes to sit and splash and play in the tub for a long time and does not need me over near him to do that. But he is also too young for me to leave the bathroom. Normally I just sit in the room playing on my phone or texting waiting until he is bored. but today I grabbed my bible, sat up on the counter between our sinks and read. It was so wonderful. One of the chapters I read today spoke beautifully to my heart (more on that tomorrow!). It was great.
It was not “normal”, but it was time that I got to spend in God’s Word, while I knew my son was safe, in my line of sight and enjoying himself.
I love this solution, so I wanted to share it with you all. A lot of times as mommies we have to get so creative in order to continue daily Bible reading and prayer, but I was reminded today about how sweet it is when we do get that time to spend with God.
I encourage you mamas, even if you have not yet found a time that will work for you every day…MAKE time in your day, however you can to have that time in God’s word and prayer! It is worth the extra effort, and it is such a good example for your children, even when they are young.
What are some creative ways you have used to find time to Read/pray? I would love to hear more ideas!!!
Faith @ Artistic31Mama says
Paula I absolutely love this!! With four kids, blogging, and my business it’s REALLY hard to find that quiet time. Bath time with four kids also takes up a big chunk of the evening so this would be great to implement into my day. :-) I agree that the morning time does not work so well for me either. Hats off to you for cooking dinner for your hubby at 9:30!! My husband gets leftovers reheated when he works late. It’s all I can do to clean up after dinner if we eat late (7:30/8pm). Thanks for sharing!
Grace Houle says
That was a refreshing post. I liked how you didn’t try laying down the gantlet on others, but rather encouraged by stating how much you enjoyed the time you did get with God. May God bless you.
Stephanie @ CrayonMarks&TigerStripes says
It is so hard to find time to make a quiet time when you have toddlers running around! I have a 2 1/2 year old and he is the busiest little guy. I go through seasons where I am really good about making myself have a quiet time and other times where I am a big slacker. Lately, because life has been in the way (such a lame excuse, right?!), I have been a major slacker and this post gave me encouragement! I’m going to get back in my quiet times and MAKE them happen!! When I do that, everything in life seems so much better. Times may get hard, but when I’m closer to Christ, I can handle those hard situations better. Thank you for getting my bum back in gear!!
Melanie Davis says
I have been having the same issues with a newborn, 2 year old, 4 year old, and 8 year old in the house. It is hard to figure out when to have some time to read the word. Yet I manage to read other things like facebook, blogs, etc. I suppose the next time I sit down to read something I should ask myself if I have read the word yet that day. If the answer is “no” then I will read the word instead! Thanks for this post!
hsmominmo says
This is great Paula! You really do have to grab those moments when you can. Thinking outside the box is what it’s all about in this season of life. I had a wise woman tell me years ago that you have to learn to grab those snippets of time, and in the end, they all add up. I’m now passing this tip on to my own children as they begin raising families of their own.
Faith says
What a great idea! I love it! I have been failing at this now that Kaleigh is on the move so this was very encouraging. I’m excited to try it out:)
Thanks for linking up with Mommy Moments Link Up!
Ceil says
Hi Paula! I am coming her from SDG.
I loved these pictures, they made me smile so big! I remember being a young Mom and time was always at a premium. Well, even as an ‘old’ Mom, the same is true.
But how God loves your heart! And how much you want to be with him. What a witness to your child too. It’s a win/win/win!
Great to meet you :)
Ceil
Marsha says
The best time for me is between 5:00 -6:00 a.m. if my six year old will “sleep in”. He’s an early riser. I also like to listen to my audio bible in the car while I am traveling to work. My son enjoys it as well and even asks if we can listen to it!
Lindsey Whitney says
Visiting from Time warp Wife (again!) and I love this idea. I’m with you… I use naptime for blogging and paperwork and mornings are just killer for me. But bath time just might do it! Even with two kids in the tub, they usually get along well. I also sometimes use a Morning Worship CD to help me focus on the Lord even if I can’t read and pray. You can find some of my song choices in this post: http://www.growingkidsministry.com/my-thoughts/morning-worship-cd/.
Thanks for sharing!
jean wise says
Very creative. If you keep seeking to find ways, I know God will open them for you. Remember seasons too. Now that my kids are grown I can intentionally set time aside for Bible study ( but don’t always do it) Your post renewed my desire to do so. Thanks. Coming over from SDG!
Jody Collins says
Paula, we are ‘neighbors’ this week at SDG. I loved this post for many reasons, but mainly because it echoes my sentiments–there is no ‘magic/special’ time to be with Jesus (i.e. first thing in the morning.) God says ‘just stop!’ with all the ‘shoulds’ and ‘just come.’
Our desire to be with the Father and hear from Him, and his desire to commune with us….that’s what matters.
your solution is brilliant–it just made me smile.
Tammy says
I made a decision a few months ago to not allow myself to play games Or get on social media until I have read the bible n prayed every day….I had recently slacked off but thanks to ur post I will be getting back on track…..thank you