Brushing My Teeth
I haven’t slept well the last three or four nights. I have allergies and sinus issues. In fact, I’ve had several sinus surgeries because, inevitably, I get a sinus infection and the gunk gets in my lungs and I get bronchitis. Fun times.
Anyway, the worst time of the year, allergy wise, is in the spring and the fall when the weather changes. One day we had a 70-degree day and the weather man was projecting potential blizzard conditions the next day. That’s a clear example of weather changing.
My usual routine is to go to sleep around 9pm and get up between 4am and 4:30am. That gives me almost two hours before my wife gets up, to check emails, check the news and, most importantly, have my quiet time to read the Bible and read my regular devotions. That’s just how I like to start my day.
Unfortunately, because my sleep has been interrupted by coughing that compels me to get up and move to my lazy boy chair, my sleep has been less than ideal. This and my early morning activities (yesterday was Sunday and we go to the early service), have resulted in me not getting my quiet time to read the Bible.
Today, I was brushing my teeth thinking about my plan for the day (I don’t know about you, but I’ve brushed my teeth for so long, I don’t have to think about it anymore letting my mind wander to some other issue). I was trying to decide if I should practice for a group gathering tonight or interject some quiet time with the Bible into my day (or write this or work on a report). Now, in the past, it wouldn’t have been much of a contemplation. I’m loyal to whatever groups or places I’m associated with and would have picked practice since the group is meeting tonight. Today was different.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” - Matthew 6:25-33 ESV
“Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, the second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:29-31
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” - Psalm 37:3-7
If you haven’t guessed, I decided that my quiet time reading the Bible was more important and took priority.
