If you have littles, you know. Littles get up during the night, many times for many reasons. And, the earlier mama gets up, the earlier the Littles get up, because they have innate Mommy radar. Mamas with Littles are usually teetering on the brink of exhaustion, despite their best efforts to get sleep and take care of themselves. Whenever we had littler Littles, the Rugged Mountain Man told me to sleep. So, an average day started at 7:00-7:30am. It was a good decision. Then, I'd often linger at the breakfast table and have my quiet time there or in the kitchen. Sometimes I'd take my time in the afternoon at nap time. Sometimes, I plunked down in my chair in the living room right in the middle of the day. I learned to adapt quickly to our season, or I'd enter dry times in my walk with God. My spirit had to be fed or I did not grow. I learned not to wait til I couldn't hear God's voice anymore and I was running on empty. I had to be creative to have my quiet time. I spent a lot of time training the girlies to play quietly when Mommy was having quiet time. But it was worth it.
Fast forward to now, Blossom4 is three years old and there is a distinct change in the season for me. I can have my time with God (usually) when I want to have my time with God. Now, for the most part, they sleep when I get up early. It's been sweet to have times of solitude again, where I can actually hear God's voice without powering through the whining and the messy diapers or juggling a nursing infant, a Kindle in my hand and handing a sippy cup to another little one. I look back over the past 11 years and God was always faithful to feed me. Always. He ministered to me. He spoke to me. He'd give me a verse and it would be the word that got me through the whole week. It would be the nugget that gave me vision for what I was doing. His faithful feeding through those years reminds me of that verse about God gently leading those with young. (Isaiah 40:11)
To all the mamas that are still in the Littles season, don't fall under that heavy burden of "Thou shalt get up earlier to have time God." Rise at a decent time to meet your day and make your time with God a high priority, even if you're nursing in your favorite chair at the same time. Keep adapting. Keep trying. Keep teaching your little ones. Don't let yourself run on empty. God WILL speak to you. He will. Just keep making yourself available to Him.
