Dear Lord; Good morning Father! Well, once again You’ve set the conversation topic for our morning chat. Here I was all ready to talk about plans for the new year, and then You intervened and kept redirecting me to discuss the morning rush at our house.
Well Father, as You know weekday mornings at our home tend to be a little on the chaotic side. I’m the light sleeper in the house, so when the alarm goes off it’s me that gets up to start things rolling for the day (Shannon could sleep through a small nuclear device being detonated nearby… LOL). The first 15 minutes of the day becomes a flurry of activity between running dogs out, to waking up children and finally prompting Shannon until she stirs as well. Some days are better than others, but no matter what my “Wake Up Call” is never a welcomed experience by the rest of the household. The balance of the next hour is spent getting everyone clean, clothed, fed and ready to get out the door in time. All in all Lord, it’s a mad rush by four half-awake people that quite often leads to frustrations flaring up.
As they did this morning.
It’s funny, but I wasn’t sure what You meant when You whispered to me that we needed to talk about my mornings and almost dismissed it, but when I heard You clearly a second time it started me analyzing the morning ritual in general, and how it affects me. Then I recognized Your intention… I’ve become resentful of being the one who has to be the “bad guy” each morning and hadn’t realized it. Wow… What a powerful and worrisome realization that was.
Well Lord, once again You’ve made me pull out a demon I wasn’t aware of into the sunlight.
It hurts my heart to think I’ve become resentful of helping my family with anything they need, even though it’s not a happy task. It’s a necessary role, and one that I’m best suited for. I need to leave these feelings at Your Feet Lord, and do ALL I can for my family with love and care.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for helping me see this poison in my heart for what it is. I pray that You help me release it from my spirit, and wake each morning with a joyous heart in the knowledge that I’m performing a loving act for those I hold dear. Amen.
~Phather Phil
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
The Word tells us that we are to have the attitude that everything we do we are doing as for the Lord. If we keep that focus, then our tasks would be done with more joy. Don’t you love the way God speaks to us and brings gentle correction? We just need to listen and obey.
Many blessings!
Absolutely Lisa! The part about this “correction” that I found wonderful was that I hadn’t even consciously realized those were my feelings… His insistence on me thinking about and discussing the matter brought that to the surface, allowing me to lift it to Him and let it go. 🙂 Have a Blessed Day!
beautiful honesty here. How great that you stopped and engage in the Lords’ whisper. I know I miss His voice more than once barging headline into what I think should be on the agenda today. He is in charge, thank heaven. I enjoy reading your post and glad we connected over the internet.
Thank you Jean. I’ve actually found that allowing Him to steer our morning email conversation reveals so much about Him to me. It’s wonderful to me that the more I listen for His Guidance, the more I learn about myself in the process. Have a Blessed Day!
Wow, Phil, makes me realize how dependent I’ve become upon my husband to do these very same things for our family over the past couple of years. He’s the early morning riser and has never complained to me about that responsibility. I wonder if he holds any resentment along these lines? I will talk to him about it today. I take this “morning gift” for granted most days. I need to do better about affirming him for all that he’s doing to help me and our children.
I am a blessed women!
peace~elaine
It wasn’t really resentment over the task Elaine, but for being put in the position of being the nasty guy that was making everyone get out of their nice warm beds and get moving. My family is not made up of “morning people”, and the reactions I get when stirring them in the wee hours usually aren’t with a loving, clear head. I didn’t even realize that it was really bothering me until God put that whisper in my heart this morning letting me know I needed to talk about it.
Thank you for the comment Dear Lady, and have a Blessed Day!
I was struggling this morning too. I backed into someone elses car in the school parking lot and can I just say, its totally impossible to keep a godly attitude then! Ugh. Anyway, I know what you mean. Sometimes its hard for me to serve my family with delight. For the most part it does feel a little bit like “duty.” Its another one of those character builders I guess where we have to make God choices and let our sinful attitude catch up. My little one has her “What would Jesus do” bracelet on and it always helps me. I might need to borrow it!;)
Oh no Kelli! I certainly hope that no one was injured. You’re right, sometimes our inner selves take over and God’s voice can get drowned out in the noise. In the end, while it bothered me to realize I was having this feeling, I was very thankful that God made me confront it, and hopefully I can lay it down and move on with His Love in my heart every morning. Thank you, and have a Blessed Day!
God spankings can sure be painful. Yet they always help move us along on the right path. Praise God you were aware of His stirring and correction and you are not ready to make the change. Thank you for sharing your story. You are not the only one! Blessings.
I love the phrase “God spankings” Jenifer! It’s wonderful to me that even when I don’t realize something’s wrong with my spirit, I have His Voice to help guide me along the right path. Thank you, and have a Blessed Day!