What a difference half an hour makes.
In my early 20’s, traveling full-time and staying in hotels or someone’s guest bedroom, I woke up at around 8:30 every morning. Then I took a job at DuPont a couple of years later, and starting getting up at 7:30.
Madeline began school three years ago, so I arose at 7:15. Then Conner had his own bus to catch, and it was 6:45.
We’ve moved and Conner’s bus comes earlier now. So every weekday morning at 6:15, the alarm clock begins its incessant beeping. Susan swats at the snooze button like a drunk woman trying to bat away a bumblebee; we sleep for six more minutes and then – slowly and with deep regret – we get up.
But not this morning. This morning, Conner woke up at 5:45. And he found something funny. So he chortled and sang in his bedroom (five feet from ours) for 30 minutes while we tried in vain to continue sleeping.
5:45. What a difference half an hour makes.
Think about it: half an hour in a boring meeting at work versus half an hour lying in a floating lounge chair in your best friend’s pool sipping iced tea on a hot afternoon. Half an hour working on your taxes versus half an hour playing catch with your kid. Half an hour getting a root canal versus half an hour reading and re-reading a glowing performance review and the details of the raise that will be accompanying it.
What a difference half an hour makes.
Half an hour soaking up the presence of God versus half an hour… You fill in the blank.
Are any of your “half an hour’s” reserved for your Father in heaven? Exclusively focused on him? Does 1/48th of your day belong to the creator and sustainer of your life? Sometime in the next 24 hours, will you pick half of one and spend it praying, worshiping, studying, listening?
After all, half an hour can make a big difference.
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour (Revelation 8:1 – NIV).
For more of Mark's written murmurings, along with those of a growing number of Journey leaders, visit http://yourjourney.typepad.com/.
A half hour would make a difference with my walk with God. Thank you.
Posted by: Cheryl G. | September 25, 2009 at 12:36 PM