Imagine the radiance of a sunrise, when all the gray turns to dawn and the whole world breathes in freshness. Have you ever woken before the rest of your house–when all is quiet and perfectly still? Have you ever walked through the rooms of your home as Moses approached the burning bush–in reverent awe as you tread softly on sacred ground? The peace feels almost other-worldly in a home that is usually filled with the laughter and lively voices of little children.
Anyone who is acquainted with the early hours knows that mornings hold a well-kept secret:
Mornings are powerful. And intrinsically, they set the tone for the rest of the day.
Harness the tranquility of the morning and you have captured a spirituality that will uphold and surround you for the rest of the day. The Spirit you find in the morning will fill you up and radiate outward to those in your sphere of influence.
And summer is especially conducive to this sacred kind of morning.
I have learned a few lessons this summer through experimentation and trial and error:
- I can feel the difference. On the days that I bask in the stillness, scuba-dive into the treasure chest of God’s holy word, and record Heaven’s answers, I am a holier person. I mother more like the Savior ministers. And the days when I sleep in too long, missing out on a morning renewal, and instead rush through the chaos of the morning, I feel the lack.
- Summer is the perfect time to spend the morning stillness with our children. When my boys were toddlers I used to dread the thought of them waking up during “my study time” because it would interrupt the stillness. I tiptoed around hoping not to wake them and inwardly cringed if they awoke. How I wish I would have realized as a brand new mother that my children were not stillness breakers as I assumed, but stillness seekers just like myself. As mothers, we hold the power to take them in our arms, snuggle them, and model for our children just how we soak in the stillness. This summer I rejoice if my children join me in my morning sacred hour. They sit with me in the comfort of my bed or the beauty of our white sofa and together we enjoy the peace.
- There are many resources for children to savor. Find children’s scripture readers here, here, here, and here, scripture videos here, more inspiring children’s videos here, online games and activities here, a family history coloring book for only $.85 here, a beautiful and inexpensive children’s magazine here, or the online version here.
- The early morning can become a laboratory of learning how to live like our Savior. This new idea was just given to me on Friday night as I sat in the temple, and I am anxious to try it out today. This website here has countless Bible videos that demonstrate the moments of our Savior’s life from recorded scripture. I want to watch one small video a day and then seek to let the power of Christ change me into a mother who ministers to my children just as He would minister to them if He were here.
- The still morning doesn’t last forever. Much too soon the house wakes up, the stillness dissipates, and the home becomes a little hive of busyness. We kneel in family prayer, eat breakfast, and send Daddy off to work. And if I’m not careful, I can let the last few seconds of stillness slip through my fingers untapped. In those last few moments before the hustle ensues, it is good for us to share what we learned from our spiritual feast. It is a precious time I can use to shape their little spirits as well as my own. Sharing insights can produce a special kind of spiritual synergy.
