For anyone who has been around me during my typical morning, knows I have to start my day with a hearty breakfast! I am one that will make a big plate consisting of bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns OR an egg, ham and cheese sandwich/ burrito. A different type of breakfast food everyday, but always a priority to have!
This year during lent, I decided that I should drink a glass of water every morning as a start to my day. I decided that I had to drink it before I could eat breakfast or even drink my coffee. Usually I would be sipping on coffee as I would be cooking my breakfast.
Now for some, adding a glass of water to your day may not seem like a big deal, but I am one who does not do routines. I live life by the seat of my pants. I own a calendar that I only open about 3 times a year. So, starting my day off by having to do something I don't want to do, such as drinking a glass of water, at the same time everyday is really really hard for me.
Day 1: Ash Wednesday, woke up and out of habit poured myself a cup of coffee. As I was about to take a sip I realized it was not even 7 hours into lent and I already almost failed. I set my coffee aside, annoyed, reached into the cabinet and grabbed an average size glass cup and proceeded to fill it with water. I never specified how much water I was to drink every morning, so I filled the glass not even half full. I chugged the water and went straight back to my now lukewarm coffee and began to make breakfast.
Day 2: Walk into the kitchen, once again pour my coffee into my mug realizing I forgot to drink my water. Day two of drinking cold coffee.
This continued on for the first week. I dreaded that glass of water so much! Why was it no problem for me to walk straight to the coffee pot, but it was so hard for me to remember to drink water?
I then started placing a drinking glass next to the coffee pot so I would remember to fill my cup of water before I would pour my coffee. This was a really good hack, it reminded me to drink the water first so I could still enjoy a warm cup of coffee! Because I didn't have to worry about my coffee getting cold, I started to sip on the water rather than chug it while I was cooking breakfast.
John 4:13-14 “Jesus said to her, whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again; whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst.”
Now imagine that my morning glass of water is actually coming from the water from Jesus’s well. I know that there are so many ways that I would benefit from drinking his water but it is a continuous struggle to make it a priority in my day to day life.
Making the time to spend with Jesus, and drinking from his well, helps to strengthen our personal relationship with him. At first it can be daunting, and not as fruitful as we hoped. We don't know our special rhythm with him and don't know how to start trying to change any of our existing habits. I used to frequently ask myself how people could find time to share with Jesus and make it a priority.
I could say that my morning priority of coffee was equivalent to my daily amount of screen time I had. On Ash Wednesday, I subconsciously reached for the coffee pot just like during my average day, I subconsciously opened my phone to some type of social media and burned up many moments of my day. Moments that I could have been spending with our lord.
Lately as I have been reflecting on my morning water intake, I noticed I don't dread it as much. In fact, I actually look forward to how refreshing it feels as I take the first sip and I am filling my cup up fuller than when I started. Sometimes I even go back for a second glass!
The same goes for when I make daily prayer a priority. At first, it is inconvenient to stop what I am doing. Once prayer starts to become more of a routine, I begin to enjoy it more (which is huge because I don't do routines). I look forward to those moments spent with jesus. I catch myself wanting more! Just like my glass of water in the morning.
When we make it a priority to change one small habit that we have, we start to set ourselves up for greatness. I didn't realize that from drinking the glass of water right away, not only did I have more energy when I woke up but my brain fog wasn't as bad. My skin had a whole new appearance along with other positive things I didn't even realize were happening to me.
Since I am still one who doesn't do routines, I have learned that if you make it a priority long enough you can make it a habit, reminding myself to continue to allow time for prayer has become a slightly more effortless task over the years. But it is a task that I will continuously have to work at for years to come.
Jesus works in mysterious ways. Do you ever ask yourself how Jesus is working inside of you? How can you make him a priority in your day to day life? What small subconscious habits can you change to invite him in? When you invite Jesus to be part of your day to day activities, you may start to reflect on the small changes you have made for him to be a part of it. You may notice things that used to be hard for you to do, may start to become an effortless part of your day.
Next time you take a drink of water, imagine Jesus standing with a bucket from his well. Waiting for you, ready to fill whatever size glass you are ready to give him.
Until next time,
Maria