5:16 Club -- Day 7, Responding

Okay, so I'm understanding why it takes 30 days to form a habit and not 7. One week in is about the time when the adrenaline rush peters out. This morning, the "Oh, but I need more sleep..." argument was raging in full form, forcing the benefits of this commitment to the back of my mind, and rationalizing why sleepy time is more valuable time. Fifteen minutes later, I lost the argument as the Holy Spirit brought on conviction accompanied by my usual snooze headache, which I dread, and out of bed I stumbled.

Once in my chair, I was glad to be awake and to have time to cast my concerns on the Lord. I was barely through my Bible study homework, when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. My eldest wanted to join me in study. A few minutes later, my middle daughter came to see where her sister disappeared to. Now I had a dilemma on my hands, because I still wanted the alone time...hence one of the reasons for getting up before the crack of dawn. Since my middle daughter needs much more sleep than the oldest, I gently sent her back to bed. She went without too much of a fuss. The eldest I sent to the nearby couch for a bit more shut.

As a beautiful sun rises in the sky this morning, both a new day dawns and new opportunities beckon our response. My daughter, now reading her Bible is one of those opportunities right before me. How will I respond? Will I join her, and the work the Lord is doing? Will I put her off, and tell the Lord, not now? I'm too busy. My response is key, and comes at a cost. It means a change in my morning routine. It means writing less now. It means not exercising this morning. It means not getting a few other tasks accomplished in the quietness of "my time." But what is the long term gain? What is it that the Lord plans to do will this little offering? She is the next generation, in whom I have the privilege of investing in. She is the one that will teach my grandchildren about Jesus. She is the one that can lead her peers on her way to the cross.

And so I am off to be with her, leaving you with these few verses that are guiding my heart...

Psalm 78

⁵ He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,

⁶ so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.

⁷ Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.

⁸ They would not be like their forefathers—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.

John 5:19-23

¹⁹Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does...

And so I see something the Father is doing and I want to be like Jesus...so I will, too, respond!

Because of Him,