In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:3)

The ringing of the alarm signals the start of a brand new day. I’m exhausted. I guess I should have gone to bed earlier last night. I resist the urge to pull the covers up for a few more minutes of sleep. I want to pray and read the Bible before the busyness of the day sets in.

I walk down the hall to my home office. I decide I should start my computer first. It can be sluggish at times, and it may need time to install any software updates. Once I finish my quiet time the computer will be ready for my work day.

The computer starts and an update needs my attention. Since it will only take a few minutes, I proceed to complete the installation. Then I notice an email alert from a client. It’s a revision request for an article I wrote the previous day. Since the changes required are minimal, I decide it should only take a short time to complete. I like to keep clients happy, so I justify the need to do it now, even though my agreement with the client is a 24-hour turnaround time for revisions.

The day is young, and I still have plenty of time to have my quiet time…

While I’m working on the article, I notice I have social media messages. I better check them in case they might be work related.  Answering the messages takes longer than I expected. Then I notice the invitation on Facebook to the family cookout. I need to post what dessert I’m taking and the RSVP date is today.

My stomach starts to hurt, and I realize I forgot to take my medication that I need to take 30 minutes prior to breakfast. I head downstairs to grab a glass of water and my medication. By the time I can eat breakfast, I should have the revision request finished.

With the revision complete, I head to the kitchen to make breakfast. Before I finish eating, I receive a few text messages that I need to reply to. I clean up from breakfast and decide I need to do laundry. It will only take a few minutes to toss a load of clothes in the washer before I sit down to have my quiet time.

While starting the laundry, I realize it’s the beginning of the month and a few bills are due soon. It won’t take long to get them in the mail, just a few minutes.

While outside at the mailbox, I notice my flowers look wilted. I decide I should go ahead and water them while I’m outside. It won’t take long at all.

As I’m walking in the door the phone rings, and I find out I’m getting company for a few hours. They are family, so I decide I won’t stress about what needs done. Life is short and I want to treasure moments with my family as long as I’m able.

By the time my company leaves, I realize the day is half over and I need to get to work.  As the day progresses, my focus is on work, which due to my various jobs will keep me busy until nearly 10:00 at night, sometimes longer, with just a break for dinner in between jobs.

By the time my day is finished, I’m exhausted with no time or energy left for what is most important-my time with God.

It wasn’t anything big that kept me from spending time with God early in the day. It was the little things -distractions, distractions, and more distractions.

Way too often I’m a no-show when God is waiting to meet with me in the early morning hours, and I feel ashamed by how easily I get caught up in the cares of this world and neglect what is most important.

Lord,

Forgive me for allowing the distractions of life to rob me of a glorious encounter with you in the morning. I’m humbled to think you desire to have an intimate relationship with me. So often I stumble and fall in my walk of faith. I rush into the day neglecting to seek your strength for the day ahead.

Later in the evening, I fall into bed exhausted, too tired to pray, or I fall asleep praying. Rather than giving you the best part of my day, I give you the pieces that are left over- a few minutes here, a few moments there.

Yet, there you are, waiting for me to come to you in prayer, wooing and luring me to come meet with you.

I am humbled when I think a holy God would even want to meet with me. Above the symphony of all you created, the roaring thunder, the waves crashing along the seashore, the howling winds, and the melody of the birds, you still long to hear my voice.

And you are always there…waiting for me to seek you. Help me to never take it for granted and to make my morning meeting with you a priority.

In Jesus’ name, amen

How often are you a no-show when it comes to meeting with God? What distractions are keeping you from a glorious early morning encounter with God?