My Peaceful Morning Routine

Probably, you’re wondering how it’s possible for me to have anything “peaceful” — let alone in the form of a “routine” — with a five-month-old baby! But, yes, I do. Sort of. It’s been a few months in the making, but it’s gotten to the point where I can call it both things without lying.

In a little bit, I’d like to tell you what it took to finally get to this place; but first, let me tell you what I’m doing as part of my peaceful morning routine.

Not rushing

When I wake up in the morning, my first thought isn’t about how late I’m running. Thankfully, I don’t have anywhere to be but here in my home, so I’m allowed to be somewhat relaxed with my schedule. This is especially helpful with a baby in the house. I’ve learned that babies and schedules do not combine well; usually, baby wins out and the schedule is left flapping in the breeze.

So, I open my eyes, and what do I see? Two little gray eyes peeping up at me adoringly. Tiny fingers reaching for my face in a gentle baby greeting. What better way to meet the new day than to have my little girl welcome me into it! If I was rushing to get up and get things done right away, I wouldn’t have time to cherish this special time with my littlest treasure. Generally, we cuddle, and whisper, and play together for a while. Then, the child in the crib next to my bed wakes up.

Nourishing my body

After taking the three-year-old to the potty, getting sips of water, and changing the baby’s diaper, we come back to my bed and get out our snack.

Ever since my most recent pregnancy, my husband has been bringing me snacks every morning. He’s such a sweetie. While pregnant, I couldn’t put a foot to the floor without having a little nourishment first. In order to not throw up or fall over right away from weakness, I needed a bit of protein. And though I’m no longer pregnant and can get by without needing a snack as often, my husband still continues to bring me one. Maybe he’s doing it to stay in practice for the next time we are expecting. Who knows?

Actually, having a small snack first thing in the morning is probably a good idea whether I’m pregnant or not. It takes the edge off my hunger until breakfast is finally served, which may take a while on some days. Popping out of bed only to come face-to-face with a “hangry” mother is not how children like to start their day.

Some mornings I don’t have a snack (maybe my husband forgot?), and I’m usually just fine. But whenever I do, it certainly helps. I always make sure to drink lots of water when I get out of bed, which is great for getting the digestive system going, flushing out the kidneys, and quickly hydrating my body.

Reading the Bible

To accompany our snacking, I pull out my Bible and prop it up in front of me on a pillow. As long as the baby isn’t fussing, I usually manage to read a chapter a day. Right now, I’m working through Isaiah. There is a lot in that book I don’t fully understand! But one thing that does stand out to me is God’s mercy and love in the face of human rebellion. Yes, God punishes; but then, God also forgives. That’s beautiful. Daily reading from God’s Word provides powerful support for whatever I will have to face throughout the next twenty-four hours. That, and prayer.

I always ask God to teach me through His Holy Spirit as I read; I ask Him to help me understand His Word and know how to apply it to my life. This is my quiet time with God; and, though I may say more prayers throughout the day, I feel that this special time is appropriately placed right at the beginning, usually before any storms have broken loose.

Through the Bible in One Year

I’d like to add something here about reading through the Bible. Normally, I read a chapter a day of my print Bible. But recently, in addition to that (but at other convenient times of the day) I started a One Year Bible reading plan through an app on my phone. After browsing through the different plans for reading the Bible in one year, I chose the Chronological Plan. I was thrilled to see that they give you the option of downloading whatever Bible version you prefer; you can also customize your font, background, and color theme. So far, I’ve been able to stay on track with my reading and am super excited to read the Bible in one year’s time!

Previously, I’d done this with the One Year Bible print version, but this phone app is already looking like it will be a lot easier. One reason is that I’m not only reading but also listening, through an audio option. This, I’ve found, keeps me from getting especially focused on any single verse. For the most part, I’m a slow reader; not because I’m a slow thinker (or maybe I am), but because I tend to hyper-analyze everything. However, listening to the audio option (while reading at the same time) helps me get through the passage more quickly, which in turn means I stick with my Bible reading schedule. (And isn’t there something they say about how combining visual and auditory inputs helps us remember things better?) Hopefully, this will work out so well I’ll make it a yearly habit.

The Bible reading plans can be started any day of the year. So, for those of us who are a bit late in making New Year’s Resolutions, or who have perhaps already made them but would like to tweak them a bit, this app could be very convenient.

Interestingly, I read this thoughtful article on the same topic shortly after I started the plan! Looks like I’m not the only one discovering the potential in phone apps for Bible reading!

Preparing for battle

Ha, ha, I’m just kidding! Wait — or am I? We mothers have an enormous responsibility given to us by God: the job of training our children and of keeping our homes. Does that sound cute? Though mothering children and caring for the home is indeed sweet in many respects, it is also tiring, challenging, and . . . dangerous.

Tiring, because there’s always so much to do, if we’re intent on doing things well. Challenging, because children require so much attention and are often not on their best behavior. And dangerous, because there is so much at stake.

As the Bible says, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood; we wrestle “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). The enemy would like to convince us that our job is unimportant and a distraction from attaining our “true potential.” He would like to catch our children unsupervised so he can snatch away their innocence. He would like us to give up on teaching them the most important things in life so they will be weak and less likely to stand up against his schemes.

When we train our children, we are raising an army. When we keep our homes, we are erecting a fortress. Yes, we — feminine women of God — are crucial participants in the battle for good against the pressing tide of evil.

So, preparing for the day in the right way is important, I think. Because we are an intertwining of body, emotions, and spirit, we should tend carefully to each one of those elements. Therefore, it’s necessary to take care of our body (also connected to our mind and emotions) by having a good start to our day nutritionally. It’s important to nurture our children and connect with them emotionally (for both our health and theirs). And it’s also crucial to spend time in God’s Word for our wellness, spiritually.

Having a peaceful morning routine is how I try to prepare for my day in all those areas. My routine is not static, since with a baby life passes quickly through different seasons with different requirements; but, I believe it’s good to have something in place, in whatever form that may take and however many times it may have to change.

Finally getting to this place

After the baby’s birth, I had to be flexible with our routines. My priority was to take care of our newborn, so everything else had to wait, even Bible reading. Gradually, however, routines started to fall into place naturally. Though they couldn’t be strictly depended upon, they did give a loose rhythm to our days. That rhythm has felt different as we’ve passed through various stages of the baby’s development, and that’s okay; we go with the flow.

I’ve gotten over the need to have everything in its place and “just right.” Instead, I’ve learned to accept the gift of a quiet moment whenever it presents itself. If my peaceful morning routine doesn’t end up happening, I just look for the opportunity to do some reading and praying at another time during the day. However, I am grateful for at least a bit of tranquility in the morning on most days by this time. Enough to be able to write about.

How about you? What’s your Peaceful Morning Routine? Or is it more of a Peaceful Evening Routine? Tell us about it in the comment section below!

~Jessica