Morning Routine

Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord. 

2 Chronicles 13:11

Every weekday morning, our daughter wakes up at 7:15. (Honestly, she wakes every day at this time -- even Saturdays. Thankfully, she has learned to read books and let the rest of us savor Saturday sleep-ins.) She heads downstairs, climbs onto the counter and gets a bowl. She pulls a spoon from the drawer and the cereal from the pantry. Then she waits. Patiently.

She knows that within moments one of us will come to pour her milk. (She can't lift the full jug, so she waits... whether it's full or not.) She carries her bowl to the table, wiggles into her chair and eats her breakfast.

She brushes her teeth, dresses for school and tromps down the stairs.

That's when the day really begins. Every morning, we circle up at the base of the stairs, joining hands to pray. We have so much to be thankful for: a caring teacher, good friends in class, and bus drivers who care. We invite Jesus to be the center of her day, asking Him to fill her with compassion and kindness. We pray that she will discover new things. Every day we pray.

She grabs her backpack, trots down the driveway and joins her friends at the bus stop. I watch from the window. My heart fills with joy as her giggle bounces down the street. The bus arrives with a squeak of the brakes, and without fail (except for one day when she completely forgot about me), she turns to our window, waves and blows a kiss. Then she's gone.

Dear God, 

May our prayers each morning be a fragrant offering to You. She's all yours, God. May she bring You great joy today. Thank You for watching over her. Thank You for blessing her with an incredible kindergarten experience. Thank you for blessing us with this special little girl. 

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen