Rising While it is Still Yet Night

Below is an excerpt from a reply to a post I made at Moms of Grace in our online Excellent Wife study.

As we study traits of an excellent wife, based on Proverbs 31, I think the tendency is to justify why we don’t have to apply some of the things on the list – writing them off to cultural differences or to them being archaic.

Here’s some reflection on Proverbs 31:15 :

I don’t know if you have had this experience, but, as a night owl from birth, I have a very difficult time getting up in the morning before 8am. My husband is also a night owl, and so we’re a recipe for disaster when it comes to waking up in the morning. It’s even worse when, after staying up soooo late, when children wake me up all night! This is what happened this morning. After staying up really late last night (it was such a good day yesterday – it’s like we just didnt’ want it to end!) one of my girls was imagining bugs in her bed and woke me up five times between 3am and 4:30am. When Tom’s alarm went off, I turned it off in my sleep! EEK!! Late for work again….

Recently, after staying up reaaaaaly late, I woke up at 9am to my 2yr old waving a poopy diaper about an inch from my FACE and saying, “OH NO! OH NO! Mom!! I POOOOOOOOPED!” Things didn’t get better when I went into the girls room and found the baby covered in stuffed animals in her pack-n-play as the older kids tried to “give her toys.” Her diaper was a mess, also. When I went downstairs, ALL of the cereal bars in a bulk sized box had been eaten – or, at least partially as there were crumbs ALL OVER THE COUCH AND RUG in the living room (eat only in kit. or dining rm. rule here!) AND in the kitchen AND in the dining room. My older daughter was “doing the dishes” while my (now 4yo) son was “making bubbles” by squeezing the dish soap bottle until all the tiny little bubbles came out the top – chased by a hefty squirt of dish soap. I didn’t realize how bad the soap mess was until I tried to dash the dirty “poop-bombs” to the trash can, slipped, and did a painful split.

SOOO….. What is my point in this?

What would have happened if I would have been awake before my children? if I had prepared breakfast for them? if I had put my 2yo on the potty and sat with him?

This is how I apply this verse to my life.

I TRY to get up before my children. When I do, our day goes so much more smoothly.

I don’t think it HAS to mean “before the sun comes up” – but often times, if you’re up before little ones, it IS before the sun comes up — right?

When you’re up earlier than the rest of your house, you have a moment to pray and say “God, I humbly give this day to you!”, to make sure your husband’s lunch is packed (or that you find a way to bless him – maybe it’s tucking a note in his pants pocket or making sure that his watch is on his dresser and not in the toy box…..), to get out the cereal bowls (so that kids don’t try to do it by themselves and pull down a whole stack of glass bowls onto the counter), to get the crockpot going (cuz if I don’t, the day gets rolling and then it’s 4pm and I’m like… “oh shoot… dinner was supposed to be in the crockpot tonight… and then I find myself frantically hacking up a piece of frozen meat and turning it into a stir-fry instead…) – or to go over the appointments and plan your day.

I wish I could say that I was calm when I found this particular poop/soap/water/cereal bar disaster, but I was NOT! I YELLED at the kids and made them clean up their mess. So, I had to ask them to forgive me for losing my temper. I lost my temper because, really, I was angry at myself for staying up so late and waking up late – AGAIN.

Any thoughts on this particular trait – rising while it is still night?

Does anyone have specific verses that have helped with controlling their tongue? Please reply with them…..

Thanks for being so honest with your post. We’re all in this together!

Also, here’s a related study on Early Rising to ponder.