There are not many moments of pure stillness in our days. The moments when we just wake up and right before we fall asleep are two moments that are completely quiet, it’s just us and our thoughts. I happen to read a lot and many people say these moments are the most powerful of our day. We are not fully awake or asleep, we are open to God and the universe.
If we start at the beginning of the day, what do you do as soon as you wake up? Are you spending a few minutes in prayer, hitting snooze, or scrolling through your phone? On a perfect day, you may not have to spring right out of bed, if you had time, would you meditate or pray?
Waking up is quite miraculous. I am grateful that it happens each morning. I have learned that setting my alarm 10 (or 15) minutes early gives me time for a morning meditation. I’m not quite awake yet, and by the time I’m done, I’m ready for the day. Just a few minutes makes my day go much smoother.
At the other end of my day, I admit that sometimes I am laying in bed, looking at my phone (probably searching for recipes) and not thinking lofty thoughts. That’s ok- I can always use some baking inspiration. What I need at night though is another touchpoint. I do pray before I go to sleep, but sometimes very quickly.
A friend of mine told me once that before she goes to bed each night, she opens her hands, tells God all about her worries and cares for the day, and then let’s it go. She would then say this prayer Into your hands Lord, I commend my spirit.
While it is challenging to me to just “let go” of my worries, I see the wisdom. When I practice giving over my cares to God and asking Him to take them I am practicing my surrender to God’s will. At the moment, that is not currently on my list, but it has been an effective way to pray in the past.
Right now, I am concentrating on how I see God showing up each day in my life. Before I fall asleep, I think of all the good things that have happened that day, and say thank you. I think of the unpleasant things and ask God to take care of it. I pray for those I love and then I go to sleep.
My challenge today seems simple, but it is not. This week, notice how you are spending the first and last moments of your days. Is it in quiet contemplation, in prayer, or are you consumed with all the things that you “have to” do, that you forget to take a few moments to connect with your creator?
I am guilty upon occasion of not making the time either. But just for this week, I am making a concerted effort to be present in those moments, in the morning to ask God to walk with me during the day, and then at the end in gratitude for how God has shown up for me that day. I trust that I will see more of God’s goodness because I am paying attention. Join me, won’t you?
