Finding Time to Abide in Christ

Long ago I came to the conclusion that the idea of a "Quiet Time" with the Lord is quaint, but not necessarily practical

for the mother of small children. 

 As a mother of 9, I can say,

 it rarely happens.

  

There just isn't a practical time of day to have a hour in prayer,

 or a half hour to study the Bible or do a devotional in private.

  It is going to have to be in the midst of the crazy chaos of littles, 

or it's not going to happen at all. 

 Having had preschoolers consistently for the last 20 years,

 I have come to rely on a never ceasing kind of prayer life. 

 The one where you end up talking to the Lord all day, because

 A).  There are no other adults to talk to, and

 B).  This the only prayer time you have. 

 I often pray out loud, lest my mind wander. 

(smile)

 I pray while ironing,

 while washing dishes, 

while changing a diaper, 

while cooking taco meat,

 and especially while nursing.

 You get the idea.

 The result is, then,

MORE prayer time with the Lord than ever! 

 I often find myself overwhelmed in the midst of my little herd of children.

 I wonder how I will manage.

I need Him.

 I am utterly dependent on Him, 

so I chatter away all through the day- a never ending conversation.

  While ironing or folding laundry,

 I pray for the person whose clothes I am working on. 

 When changing diapers, I pray for the little one I am cleaning up. 

While on my walk through the woods, I tell Him all my troubles and marvel in His goodness. 

We MUST believe that children are a blessing,

 and so, even the "never alone, go potty with your little one present",

 season of life will be a blessing from the lord,

and therefor there will be a way for your relationship with Him to grow and flourish.

 For me, the more children I have, the more dependent up on the Lord I am,

the more He shows me the ugly sin in my life that I need to turn over to Him,

 the more He sanctifies me.

 There may be no little quiet time,

but that is fine, because- it is an all day never ending walk with my savior,

and I am so much better off for it! 

Our family reads the Bible at the breakfast table. 

 We memorize scripture together at the dinner table.

  Between those two and the weekly sermon,

 I have plenty of Scripture to meditate on, 

and my own weaknesses are ever before me

to reflect upon and turn over to the Lord. 

 However, I do read the Psalms on a almost daily basis, 

but I do not expect it to be quiet.

  I may have 17 interruptions,

children climbing in and out of my lap,

 goats who have escaped their pen,

or a potty training disaster to deal with.

  This is my life,

I must learn to live with it.

Not only live with it,

 but I have the opportunity to make it beautiful.

 Not to say that you cannot have a time when you ask 

children that are old enough to understand 

that you need a few minutes of uninterrupted time,

 but with babies and really little ones,

 we must just deal with it,

 and it is alright.

Some days a mama does find time to herself ,

 and knowing that it is a rare opportunity, 

be faithful to

Seek First His Kingdom,

before the chore list or computer distracts us away from

Our Precious First Love.

 Our life with Jesus is so much more than 30 minutes in the morning.

It can become a true relationship,

where I see Him as ever present,

 always available,

and myself as always working out all the details of my day with Him. 

Finally, I do not think of morning devotions as my time with God.

  My time with God begins when I wake..I walk with Him all through the day:

 we are never "done,"

 I never check him off my list.

 No, we have a relationship. 

 We are in constant motion with one another.

I end up truly abiding in Christ all the day.

 And that is a tremendous blessing!