Blessings Already Realized

I have been waking up at 5:00 am for six days, and already I have realized some pretty significant blessings.  The first I would like to share with you is the blessing of time with my husband, and the effect it has had on his personality.  I must tell you that HBON (see previous post) is the most patient, kind, gentle, and long suffering man I have ever know.  I don't believe this is an exaggeration.  Those of you who know him can testify about his kind and gentle spirit.  What has been added to this man since I have started waking up, is a peacefulness that is contagious.

HBON's love language is touch.  He needs a hug, a held hand, a kiss, and a cuddle on a regular basis to feel loved.  When I wake up with JUST enough time to get things together for him so he can rush out the door, there is NO TIME for anything more than a quick peck and a harried or groggy I love you.  When I don't wake up at all before he leaves the house, he doesn't even get that!  What a terrible way to send my warrior out to face the days dragons!

Instead, our mornings have turned into a time of togetherness.  The alarm goes off, and we have time for a few moments of snuggling before getting out of bed.  I get up and get breakfast and pack his lunch, make our warm drinks, and grab our Bibles.  He gets dressed and builds a fire (an immensely satisfying chore for most men, I am told).  Then we sit beside each other, eating our breakfasts, reading our Bibles, and just being together. I send him off with a hug, kiss, a God bless you and a wide awake I love you.  His mind has been fed by time in the word, his body has been fueled by a good breakfast, and he feels loved.  So much better!

When he comes home, he is more at peace and less weighed down by the things he has faced today.  His decompression time has been cut by more than 50%.  And his peacefulness is contagious.  I feel more relaxed and don't get worked up over minor details as quickly as I have in the recent past.  I feel more connected to him.  We feel like more of a team.  The children have responded by being more loving towards us and each other, and wanting to spend more time together.  All of this because I set my alarm clock back one and one half hour.  That is an amazing trade off, but I am not surprised.

I believe the Bible is true.  And if the Bible says do this and good things will happen, then I believe good things will happen.  But proving it to be so is amazingly encouraging!  I was not smart enough to realize what waking up could do for my spouse and our relationship, but God is, and by His mercy, I was blessed to find this nugget of truth in His word.  I can't wait to see and to share other blessings gained by obedience.  Pray for me, please, that I will have the wisdom and the strength to follow His way and not my own.  If so much can change just from waking up, what will other changes do for our home?  I can't wait to find out!!

KJV Proverbs 3:17  ...speaking of wisdom..."Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."