The first thing I do for myself as soon as I wake up is to immediately pray "I love you God! I give you this day. Help me Lord. Strengthen me. This day is Yours..." This is in the first Nano-second or else I automatically wake up on the wrong side every single day. This prayer has been a game-changer for me and only takes about five minutes of my waking time to overcome my evil sin nature that appears every morning.
The other thing that has changed as I have grown as a mother is how I greet my children in the first five minutes. In the past when they woke up I would say after a brief hug, "Hello baby! I need you to get dressed" or "Goodmorning! Oh wow, your hair is crazy" or "Um...its not time to get up yet!" or "Yuck, your diaper is stinky" while not even look at them or truly connecting. But I have learned that this is a prime time to start their day off right. I was missing an influential opportunity.
So, as each one wakes up or enters the room, I stop to make a heart connection. It could be by hugging them, wrapping them in a blanket, rubbing their back, speaking enouraging words about the day, making eye contact, listening to their dreams from the night, or offering help. Even if we are in a hurry, these few moments have the power to set the day straight.
These "First Five" minutes are powerful either for the good or for the bad. It is up to you and to me how we start the day and how we lead our children to their start off their day. As a recovering grumpy morning mom, I can honestly say these two changes have transformed me into one happy mama with five happy children.
Comments
Post a Comment