I love early mornings, that peaceful quiet when most of the household is still asleep. There are no interruptions. My brain is fuzzy, still sleepy. It is the kind of quiet that allows my heart to dream, soar, and pray without the distractions that will come later in the day. I try not to think about the chores that await, the school lessons that need to be planned, or decide what I will cook for dinner. My thoughts can go directly from my head to the written word, whether by pen or keystroke. Most days, they get stalled somewhere along the way between correcting math lessons and keeping track of our busy schedule. Perhaps this is why the psalmist writes of seeking God early in the morning. The cares of each day have not had time to push out the warm intimacy that comes in those early morning hours alone with Him. I can cry out in anguish, lift my heart in praise, openly wait for His direction, and see things more clearly than at any other time of the day. Problems haven’t yet presented themselves. Sleep doesn’t beckon like a chocolate bar when hormones are raging. On those mornings when I am up early, I enjoy the quiet where we all meet; my Lord, His word, my pen and paper or keyboard, my soul, and sometimes, a blessed cup of hot coffee.

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (ESV, Ps. 143:8)