I don’t sleep in much anymore. It is almost 6 am as I write this and that constitutes having slept in.
It’s still dark outside my windows. I just heard the rumble of the newspaper delivery guy’s pickup truck as he came through the neighborhood, stopping to toss newspapers up on the doorstep of each home on my end of the block. I’m not watching him, but I can picture him jogging through each yard as he brings the daily news to each residence. Soon he’ll hop back into the cab and drive a few houses down, repeating the process all over again.
Out the back window, across the street, the new-old fashioned street light is glowing, highlighting the gently falling snow against the background of darkness. I’m no longer a big fan of snow, especially when it threatens the safety of my driving, but I have to admit, the first few times I see snow fall each year it still feels magical. Besides, I don’t expect this will manage to accumulate. The ground is still too warm. Fine by me!
It’s so quiet in the house I can hear the clock on the mantle ticking. I’m sitting in my favorite recliner, covered with my favorite fleece blanket. When I first plopped myself down here, I looked over to the lamp table that sits next to the chair and saw, on the stack of books awaiting my attention, the daily devotions book that arrived a couple of days ago, compliments of my sweet friend, Blessed1. It seemed like a good way to start the day and I opened it up to today’s message. It was just a simple message, reminding me that I can pray anytime I want, and when I do, I have God’s undivided attention. Like I said, it’s a simple reminder, but sometimes I need to be whacked over the head with the obvious.
I have a sense of calm this morning and I’m realizing that a bit of quiet time does me a world of good. I need to find a way to carve out some space during each day when I’m not bombarded with the noise of the television, the phone, and the demands of the family. I need just a small window of time when I can take a few moments to pray and to steer my thoughts away from all of the stresses life can hand out. I realize it is an effort for me to stop my thoughts from wandering into the chaotic and instead, focus on those that are soothing, but if I can accomplish this, it is so worth it. At the moment, I am totally at peace and ready to face… no… embrace what the day brings.
17 Comments
November 8, 2008 at 6:20 am
I used to start my day with a 15 minute walk and prayer. Makes a huge difference in my heart and my waistline.
Knot
November 8, 2008 at 7:21 am
If it were me I would I have jerked the door open and scared the paper guy
But I’m mean like that.
November 8, 2008 at 8:11 am
Hi Teri…I stumbled across your site via another blog friend. I enjoyed reading your last couple of blogs…I like how you write…how you have the ability to bring the world around you to life through your blog. It was a pleasure meeting you!
November 8, 2008 at 8:25 am
Silence is one of the best healers. I am glad I was not the only one that could not sleep, although mine came from eating pizza at 1:30 in the morning and not having any Tums. That will not happen again.
November 8, 2008 at 8:31 am
Thanks for coming and stopping by, Teri. You made me smile. I hope you continue to stop by from time to time. I’m just an ordinary girl who is a survivor of domestic violence and recently underwent major liver surgery. I try to share with the world what my heart feels through my blog, but mostly through my music and art.
November 8, 2008 at 8:43 am
This is what I mean by, “you are a writer.” As I read through the opening section of your blog, I could vividly see and feel every single detail you described. That was awesome. I know you’re about as good with deadlines as I am… but when do I get to read your first book? Huh? Huh? Huh?
Aside from that, I agree. I need a little time to myself once in a while to just chill. It makes all the difference in the world.
November 8, 2008 at 8:56 am
Good for you! I know, being a wife,mom, pet owner, employee, etc… makes us put our needs dead last, we can’t help it sometimes. But really, it’s better for everyone if we take care of ourselves.
November 8, 2008 at 9:22 am
i used to love getting up before dawn on my days off, just so I could have some quite time before the kids exploded from the bed. Now that they are all grown up and gone, I sleep late whenever i can.
November 8, 2008 at 11:47 am
Terri,
Well put. I too get up early for time to myself to blog, write,think, walk. It’s so very important to do that. I think alone time is a lot like air and sleep, so it’s ironic that it becomes a luxury item!
November 8, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I love that early morning peace, almost as much as I love to sleep. This post is so well written. You give great visuals! I could almost see and feel what you were this morning. Get on your book Terri…you’re a great discriptive writer, who makes anyone who reads you put themselves in your shoes. Anything you write will be great. Thanks for the link. I’m glad the devotional book is already helping. Even though it’s not a current 2008 one, I have found it to be helpful each year. I figured you’d gain something from it too, and am glad you have. Don’t forget to vlog sometime soon!
November 8, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I could not survive without the time to myself. Mine is usually at night before I go to bed, but I find that i end up staying up too late because I don’t want to give it up.
November 8, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Mike and Blessed1 both said what I was thinking too. Your writing evokes “word pictures”.
November 8, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I belong to two writer’s groups online -one which many of the members post things they have written or are currently working on writing. One thing many more experienced writers point out, especially to the newbies or untrained (like myself) is that writing should “show” not “tell” and that is exactly what your writing does -as a couple folks who commented her have noticed and mentioned about your posts -your writing. I can ramble a lot -a whole lot -which tells much maybe but trying to find the words to say the same thing is a showing manner, for me -that’s a really difficult deal to manage.
And “alone time” -if I am awake in the early morning hours, it is usually because I just haven’t gone to bed. I’m often up till the very “wee” hours ya know but on the rare occasions when I am awake then. having slept and am up with some sort of purpose for the day ahead, I’m usually zoned out, waiting impatiently for the pot of coffee to finish brewing; for that first lovely sip to begin its job of jarring me, my system into a semi-functioning form of awakeness. Being awake, aware and alert -takes the better part of the day for me to achieve! So I often have little moments, off and on during the day -or night too -where I go off, mentally, into my own little world and contemplate.
November 9, 2008 at 3:20 am
I love when I get to start my day in that kind of peace and quiet.
November 9, 2008 at 6:13 am
Mornings are my favorite time of the day. When everything is quiet & still. At that time, the day is full of hope & promise before the rat race starts. Problems seem to be less complicated or stressfull. I tend to get up before the crack of early and like to get a jump start on the day (even on the weekend).
November 9, 2008 at 6:48 am
Good morning, Terri.
Hope you had a good night’s rest. I think I slept the best last night yet, prior to this last week.
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!
November 10, 2008 at 1:10 pm
“sometimes I need to be whacked over the head with the obvious”
me too!