An Unforgettable Life

It’s Ash Wednesday! A day of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It’s the beginning of forty days of Lent before Easter. A reminder that we are living an unforgettable life because of Jesus.

Waking Up

For about three years now, I’ve been waking up at 5 am every morning. My internal clock just gets me up. No alarm, my eyes just pop open. It’s the weirdest thing. And I think to myself, “what the heck?” I don’t have to be at work until 9am. What is the deal? I’m not one of those people who can easily go back to sleep, so I get up and fix a cup of coffee and pray. I’ve been praying now for two hours every morning for three years. And what a difference it is making in my life! You don’t have to get up at 5 am, but what if you made time for prayer and silent reflection daily?

My husband and I recently went out for a birthday celebration to a comedy club and met another couple sitting across from us at our table. In our conversations, the gentleman told us that he has been waking up at 5 am for no apparent reason, but enjoyed the silence in the morning with his dog and some coffee. He said he started ‘meditating and thinking’. He said he got his best ideas for his remodeling projects for his house during this time.

I hear a lot of conversations from people about how hard it is to fall and stay asleep. People talk about how all of our devices are keeping us awake at night. But what if God is actually trying to get our attention? What if we are all being called to pray or meditate? Wouldn’t it be pretty cool to think that there are millions of people praying together at 5 am all over the world?

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

Matthew 21:22

Prayer Life

What could you do with two extra hours of quiet and solitude in the morning or evening? Two hours without noise, children or even your spouse clamoring for your attention. What would you do? How could this impact your day, your week, or your life?

For the last three years, it’s gotten me to think about what’s really important. It has encouraged me to think more of others. I have grown as a person in my prayer life and I began writing. I have been writing this blog for over two years now. Who knew I could write or even had the desire to write? I always thought that I have lived a pretty blessed life and now I get the chance to write it all down for someone else to read. I hope that my grandchildren will appreciate having some stories from grandma.

Those two hours every morning have led me to step outside my comfort zone and to pray with others. It has given me self-confidence and I’ve learned to think things through before making hard decisions. Two hours daily gives me time to prepare for the day ahead. I have time to read and journal. I have witnessed 3 years of some breathtaking sunrises from our family room window.

Action Steps

There’s nothing hard to do. Just get up when you wake up. Find a comfortable chair and just sit. Relax. Close your eyes. Take a mental note of your thoughts. Write them down. Pick up a Bible. Open it anywhere and just begin to read. Or just start journaling. Write down your favorite memories from your childhood or something great that happened yesterday. A funny joke or something cute a child said or did. But keep it positive. Try to find the good in all of it.

God is pretty amazing. Maybe he’s waking all his prayer warriors up. There’s a reason you are awake. Say some prayers for those suffering throughout the world. Ask Him to take care of that homeless person living in the park. Maybe He will give you an insight on how you can make a difference in the life of someone else so you can live an unforgettable life, too.

God bless. Make the most of these next 40 days.–Barb