Habits

We have some habits around our house. They're not necessarily bad habits, although they do cause some frustration on Sunday mornings.

We have a habit of getting up early. Even when Doug and I sleep in (our mornings usually start at 5:00), the kids are up some time between 6:30 and 7:00. Without fail.

We also have a habit of getting up and going quickly. We eat breakfast together. Doug leaves for work a little before 8:00. That means breakfast, dental hygiene, morning prayers, and hugs and kisses must be done by then. Everyone must be fully dressed with pj's put away, beds made, and cats fed before breakfast.

We've been doing this for a long time. When we traveled to Joiner for church every Sunday, we needed to be out the door - with bags and meals packed for the entire day - by shortly after 8:00. When I worked at Mother's Day Out, we really needed to be out the door - with lunches made and bags packed, and all that accomplished after being gone much if not all of the day before - shortly after 8:00. Since that covered three days of the week, it became habit for the remaining four as well.

Nowadays we still make 8:00 our goal so Doug can get out the door and we can get started on household chores, getting them done in time for playtime before school. But, we don't have to pack lunches or gather bags for the entire day.

So, Sunday mornings roll around, and there we are, fully ready for church by 8:00 - maybe a little after if we really take our time. When do we have to walk out the door? A little before 9:00. This past Sunday, Steven started asking at 7:45 if he could go ahead and get in the van!

People comment that they don't know how we do it or that they could never get their families ready that early. But for us, it's an ingrained habit.

Habits greatly affect our lives. They affect our mentalities and our accomplishments. They affect our relationships. They affect our obedience. Some of them we don't even acknowledge, but that doesn't reduce their impact on our lives.

I'm determined to make it a habit to examine my habits - to live more and more in the habit of making everything I do show a growth toward being more Christ-like in all my actions. Now that's a habit worth having!