In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

I am a night owl to the core. It's only natural considering both of my parents are night people, and they are directly responsible for many of the traits that make me who I am. I often joke that I never had a bedtime whenever I was a kid to which Mom always insists that I did. I'm not convinced. There are so many great things about the night: looking at the stars, listening to the crickets chirp during the summer, a bright moon shining against the dark sky, David Letterman and SNL...the list goes on and on. So normally whenever I make a reference to the wee small hours of the morning, it is because I have stayed up all night long until that time of day. Not so much the case anymore. I cannot count the number of times that I have been woken up during the 4 o'clock hour in the past 7 weeks. Sleeping until 6:00 without interruption is absolutely unheard of. Whoever said that puppies sleep all the time is obviously a dirty liar. At first I hated it. I went to sleep with a sense of dread knowing that my sweet dreams would be interrupted earlier than I preferred. However on Sunday morning (as I was walking around outside at 5:57...church doesn't start until 11:00 so technically I could have snoozed until 9:30 and had time to spare...and to top it off I didn't even make it but that's another story for another day), I realized that the mornings aren't so bad at all. In fact, I am really beginning to like them. Everything is so quiet and still. It's great being outside when hints of pink start to appear in the East as the sun rises. To me it seems almost like it's God's way of pulling the covers back on the Earth and saying "ok kiddos, time to get up and start y'alls day" (and yes, I'm confident that God says "y'all"). Then the birds wake up. Even though they sing from a different sheet of music than the crickets, I really enjoy their song too. Since I'm now waking up two hours earlier than I need to each morning, I have time think about the day ahead and set the tone for how it's going to be. Recently I have been thinking about how I have an opportunity to make a difference each day. Now, I know that sounds really trite. It's not like I have to feed the hungry or play shuffleboard at the senior center or drive the Bookmobile or stand on a corner and preach Jesus to make a difference either. My attitude and actions throughout the day in my regular routine can speak volumes to someone. All too often, I slip up and have to check myself before I wreck myself...especially this time of year. But when I have some time in the morning without the tv or computer and with Jesus before I go out and face the world, I have found that my days are much more productive and much less harried. It's a great way to spend the day. Hmm...maybe those morning people have been on to something all along. Now the trick is to figure out a way to be both a morning person and a night owl without causing fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. I vote for mid-day naps.