It’s taken a long time to sort out a morning “routine”. I use routine loosely, mind you, because I have learned that being the mom of 5, the only predictable thing in my life is interruptions. But I would like to share with you how most of my mornings go, when I’m able to be intentional, and how they start my day off well.

One: Morning offering

“Good morning, Jesus! This day is for you in all I think, all I say, and all I do.”

Every morning before I get out of bed, I recite this prayer (without the tune and hand gestures). I’m not really sure when I started it, but I remember it was shortly after I begrudgingly conceded to my husband’s suggestions to begin the day in prayer before scrolling on my phone or jumping into doing-mode for the day. I knew I’d need something I could remember. But I wanted something better than “hey there Jesus...it’s morning...I’m tired...And the kids need me...Help me.” Authentic. But lacking some reverence. While I love the traditional Morning Offering, I needed something concise and less formal for my head-still-on-the-pillow state. I remembered Kolbe coming home from preschool and getting the sing-song prayer stuck in my head. At the root of the sweet toddler prayer was some gold.

So I’d like to suggest a few reasons for adding a short prayer to the beginning of your day. The very beginning. Before you get out of bed. One you can’t push off, get distracted from, or forget the words to.

It’s honest. The whole intent behind a morning offering is to humble yourself in prayer with the idea that you’ll try your best, you’ll need some help, and you may screw up...but you earnestly want to unite your behaviors with His will.

It’s a building block. Starting on the right foot, and the old saying goes, really does set the tone for the next moment, and then the next, and so on. I mean, it’s not the solution to all of your problems, but I have found that it has invited me to more frequent and deeper prayer as the day progresses.

Two: Make bed

As a kid and as a teen, I HATED making my bed. What’s the point?! You’re just going to crawl back into it later in the day and mess it all up again! When I was in college, I relished in the fact that I didn’t have my mom bothering me about making my bed anymore. When we first got married, our bed was only ever made the day I washed the sheets. But lately I have found great peace in making my bed as soon as I rise. I reflect on the gift of a night spent with the man I love in the comfort and coziness of a bed, and look forward to returning at the end of the day to those same two treasures later on. I’ve also found that, at night, after the chaos that was the day, there is something so inviting and calm about returning to an ordered bed. Plus, I can say I at least accomplished one thing today...right?!

Three: Kiss hubby

That first quiet moment of affection, given and received, is such a treat in the hectic bustle of the transition from sleep to work. My partner, my teammate, I see you, I support you, and I love you. Man, what a gift! Sometimes it’s before one of us gets out of bed, maybe just before Renzo leaves for work, or as the second riser makes their way downstairs. Whatever the timing, it’s always our first interaction. And I can’t help but feel butterflies despite the morning breath. Something about taking a moment for person to person interaction and appreciation…find a small pause to give and receive affection.

Four: Sip coffee

While, yes, caffeine is an essential food group for the modern life, I rarely get to drink my coffee before my life of taskmaster kicks in. Usually the adrenaline of balancing and addressing the needs of the other 5 people in the house is what gets me moving quickly, and coffee gets finished after about 3 reheats and a few hours of multitasking. But dang, that first sip of warm fresh coffee...I can’t help but pause and count myself blessed. I know that I don’t verbalize my gratitude in that moment every day, but boy am I grateful for a sweet treat to set the tone for the rest of the morning. Benedictine spirituality, summarized beautifully in Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day by Macrina Wiederkehr, tasks the follower to slow down and appreciate what is happening in the moment; sipping my coffee is a morning sacred pause for me.

Five: Dishes

There. are. always. dishes. So every morning, I make it my goal to either empty or load the dishwasher, put away the clean dishes, or hand wash a few pots and pans. Something about reordering the mess on the counter makes me feel accomplished. I recommend starting your day with a simple, but necessary task to kickstart your day. It should be one that is manageable and easily accomplished to offer some sort of consolation for switching gears into doing-mode.

Like most people, switching from sleeping to doing is a struggle. And starting the day off on the wrong foot can often have an impact on the tone for the rest of the day. I recommend reflecting on the opportunity to find some small moments of opportunity to begin your day well, particularly with God, with yourself, and with your family.

Fiat. - Monica