God First In My Day

"My steps have held to your paths:
my feet have not stumbled."
Psalm 17:5, NIV

This is a typical day for me. I wake up tired because my 9 month old son has not quite mastered sleeping through the night. I go through my morning trying to get myself and three kids ready for the day. Halfway through, I realize that it feels more like a marathon than a morning. I nag the kids to get their clothes on, brush their teeth, do their hair, eat their breakfast, get their socks on, get their shoes on all while trying to feed a baby, make lunches, put makeup on, get dressed, and eat breakfast.

I clean up the dishes and feel good about the house being clean only to find it a wreck two hours later as I'm doing the mountain of laundry that awaits me day after day. Just when I get a few minutes to talk on the phone, the baby cries or needs to be changed and that phone conversation is done. I run kids here and there to activities and play dates and try to sneak in some time with my own girlfriends when our kids are asleep and our husbands are home. I think about all the painting that I want to do in the house, but can't even fathom the idea, because if I can't keep current on the laundry, why would I think painting would be a good idea?

Sound a little nuts? It is. Being a mom is hard. It makes me crazy some days and I often feel like I am drowning in a sea of tasks that can never be done in time. There may be some of you out there who never feel like this. You might never have a full laundry basket or can whip through the morning routine without wanting to pull your hair out, but in all honesty, that's not me. Not everyday is like the one I described, but being a full-time mother to three kids and a wife to my husband is hard work. For me, it's a lot harder than going to work outside of the home everyday.

I feel like I stumble a lot. And when I stumble, I know that I need more of God and less of me. I get caught up in the busyness of life. I spend so much time trying to keep a home and family running that sometimes I end up pushing God into the background of my life. And when I do that, it is so much harder to find God. I can't see through the laundry and the birthday gifts and the piano lessons because I have not put God first in my day, let alone my life.

I am so thankful that even though I may have pushed Him so far away, that He never does that to me. He is always seeking me and loving me, even when I have sadly put other things in front of Him.

God has called us on a path with Him that leads to a deep joy. On that path, we are meant to spend time with Him . . . in His Word, knowing Him, communicating with Him, and experiencing that joy that can only come from Him.

When I put God first in my day, I find the busyness of my life fade away. I am better equipped to handle all the things that sometimes leave me feeling so inadequate. God gives me just what I need to handle each situation and each new day. And when I take the time to walk with God every single day, I can be a blessing to others . . . most importantly, my husband and my children.

Dear God, Thank you for loving me and for always being there even when I have pushed You away. Please help me to make you a priority in my day and to seek you as I head into the busyness of life. Help me not to stumble and to always follow right behind you as I follow You and serve my family. Amen.