I went to bed last night determined that I would get up 15 minutes earlier than I normally do, so I could have more time in the morning. Ideally I’d like to have an extra half an hour in the morning, but 15 minutes should be more achievable.
At 6:00am the radio turns on. I roll over. The newsreader merges into a background hum as my sub-consciousness drags me back into the dreamscape. When a child inserts herself between the sheets next to me, I roll towards her and snuggle her warmth close.
6:30am – the alarm on my cell phone chirps. The plan is to get up in another 15 minutes, so I push the snooze (or did I click “off”?) and tuck the phone under my pillow. I try to actually listen to the radio news. I find myself hearing the North Island weather, bit drift back into oblivion before the forecast for Christchurch.
I’m wedged between hubby’s back and the sleeping child. There's a cat curled up at my feet. I feel warm and cosy. My eyes are still closed. I tell myself that it’s time to start moving, but nothing happens. I visualise myself getting up and having a shower. I start dreaming about the bathroom.
I become aware that the radio announcer is reading the news again. I open one eye – 7:05am. I realise that I can’t remember any of the news items from the previous bulletins, so decide to listen to it again. The house is still and dark. No-one else is moving. My eyes gradually close. I try to will my eyes to reopen. There is no response.
I finally pull myself out of bed, tucking the bedding back around the sleeping child, and head into the bathroom. It’s now 7:15am.
When I’ve finished my shower, I sit down for my morning prayer. I try to focus on the Psalm I’m reading, but one eye is still on the clock. It’s now 7:25am and I need to be having breakfast in 5 minutes if I want to be ready to leave for work on time. I finish the readings, and realise that I haven’t really taken anything in. I want to be able to spend some more time re-reading and reflecting and praying, but instead I close my Bible and head for the kitchen. Tomorrow, I promise myself, I’ll get up 15 minutes earlier so I have more time to pray. 15 minutes should be achievable…
I’m aware that my faith is not at the depth I would like it to have. I could make all sorts of excuses about why I’m not putting more time into my spirituality – tiredness, busy-ness, earthquake disruptions – but at the end of the day I know that I need to be more disciplined in my spiritual practices.
I’ve been reading this book on and off for the last few months. But there’s a gap between the reading and the putting into practice. Is that just me?
I’ve decided that I’m going to try working more slowly through the book and actually try to put each discipline into practice. I don’t want to rush through each chapter – I’ll spend two or three weeks on each discipline until I have mastered reached some competency gained a very basic grasp of each one. (Don’t worry, Craig, I have a copy on order from Book Depository, so you won’t be waiting a year for me to return your copy.)
These kinds of challenges are always easier to do with others. Is there anyone out there interested in joining me? Drop a comment below to let me know. Then buy, borrow or beg a copy of the book and have a look at chapter 1. I’ll pop back each week with how I’m getting on.
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