How do you set aside the time for meeting with God?

     Several dear friends have asked me this same question lately.  They are asking me, in particular, because they know that I am “in the trenches” with them.  With two little ones clinging to me (both literally and figuratively), dependent on me for nearly every thing most waking hours of the day, there is precious little quiet in my days.  Instead, we spend loads of time getting on the potty, off the potty (potty training is a necessary evil!), and making and cleaning up messes in the kitchen, in the living room, in the bedrooms, in the bathrooms, and of course, in the car!  You catch my drift . . . I can’t tell a toddler and preschooler to run entertain themselves for hours while I meet with the Lord.

Instead, here are three things I attempt daily:

1. Get up early.  If you knew the incarnate Jesus were sitting on your back porch at 5:30 a.m., would you get up and go see him?  Ok, so the incarnate Jesus isn’t on my back porch, but the same Jesus is on my porch through His Spirit.  I am weak and utterly dependent on Him.  I recognize this, so I get up and meet with him before the children get up.  I learned this habit from two good folks:     
1. Jesus:  “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 NIV).  If God the Son needed it, words can’t express my need for it.  
2.  Mama:  Growing up Mama got up before we did to pray and read the Word.  Children tend to live what their parents live more than what their parents say.  (Disclaimer:  I know there are those seasons in life when this getting up early is nearly impossible.  I’ve nursed two babies who didn’t sleep through the night, and I’m about to be in that season again in which I will not necessarily set an alarm (who needs one with an infant?!) but will meet with God in whatever watches of the night baby wakes me!  I also know some folks can find some other particular time in the day, but this is just what works best for me.  At night, I'm tired, can't think straight, and usually fall asleep.)
2. Set my heart on a Person.  The Person is Jesus.  I say “Person” to contrast with “task.”  This is the hardest one for me.  Jesus has to be the Lord, the Master of my to-do list.  He enables me to keep perspective on what’s worth getting my feathers ruffled over and what’s not.  (By the way, most things are not, I know, but “slow-learner” I am.)  “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:1-3 NLT).  He helps me to see people and tasks with His eyes.  When I allow Him to do this for me, every thing—every. single. thing.—gets a lot easier.  “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Mat. 11:30).
3. Pray A LOT.  I pray silently and out loud with whomever I'm present everyday.  Most days this would be my children.  For practical example, I was about to blow a gasket over the rotten mood that one of them was in a couple of days ago, so the three of us prayed for her right then.  (The honesty in their prayers is refreshing.)  I’m modeling for them to turn to God when we need help as well as when we want to thank Him (trying to model it, anyway); as a result, they pray out loud several times a day.  If you have children, try this!  God moves mountains in prayer . . . and sometimes we are the mountain.

     After writing this, I wrote another piece on “the times I mess up the most,” which goes along with this post, so I’ll hopefully have that for you next.  If you are beginning to try these three things listed above or want some accountability, email me and let me know.  I’ll be praying for you, sister!