shopping for time, part 2 of 6

Without further adieu, here is Tip Number One in Shopping for Time.

No, wait, I do have some further adieu. I should remind you that this book is written from a Christian worldview.  I believe the general principles in this book are universal for believers in Christ, but may not appeal to you if you have a different worldview. (Here's a review on Amazon from one such reader, which I think says it well.)

And the details of carrying these general principles out will differ for each of you.  The practice will look different for each of us.  The authors are very sensitive to this.  They are sensitive to the fact that different women are in different seasons of their lives, and that "early will look different for every woman reading this book." If you are ill or have a little baby or other sleep-depriving situation, you may be up so late for valid, unavoidable reasons that tip number one will have to be postponed in your life.

So please, no riots in suziebeezieland.  :)

So without further further adieu, here we go, although by now you've already guessed it:

Tip Number One: Rise early.

Like maybe 5 AM early.

Remain calm, I said. :D 

The mother-daughters authors started The 5 AM Club in their own lives (and since then, they've inspired women across the country to start their own 5 AM clubs) to (1) ensure that they had time to read the Bible, pray, and meet with God in the morning (this was the primary reason), and (2) to be available to help meet their families' needs in the morning.

(I should interject at this point to say that if you bristle at the idea of "serving your family," or "meeting their needs," this is not the book for you.  I think it's a shame that the word "serve" has become so loaded with negative connotations.  It is true that terrible abuses of power over the centuries have tarnished the true Biblical notion of service.  But selfishness has also made the idea of service less attractive to us. Which is too bad, because it's an awesome privilege to serve each other.)

Some of you have such incredibly full schedules that your hours already necessitate rising early, whether you want to or not! I salute you gals. :)

So this tip is probably skewed towards stay-at-home moms or other women with more discretion over how they spend their time. 

The authors make a point of saying that there is nothing inherently more spiritual or Godly about getting up at 5 AM (or 6 AM, or 7 AM).  That's not a Biblical principle, so they don't say that it is, although the BIble does contain examples of early rising as a wise choice in life.  

What the authors do say is this:

The goal of the 5 AM club is simply to promote the benefits of rising early -- both for your spiritual life and the life of your family. Early, though, will look different for every woman reading this book. We just call it The 5 AM Club because this is what time we try to roll out of bed.

And if you choose to rise very early, of course it shouldn't be a point of pride with you.  Early risers aren't better. :D

The book talks at length about the benefits of rising early and the logistics of making it work (including their mom's six-point-strategy for waking up early), and so if you are feeling intrigued by the idea, again, I really recommend you read the book.  (I'm not selling the book or endorsing it officially for them! And I'm not running the links to the book through my Amazon Associates account. Ha.  I just don't want you to miss out on something really good, and my summaries aren't as good as the real book!)  

I think I just want to appeal today to those of you who, like me, have always considered yourself a "night owl". 

I want to challenge you to join me in rethinking this idea.  

Here is the passage from the chapter that smacked me right between the eyes.  I don't want to give anybody any false guilt, and only you know if this description fits you.  But there is also real guilt that can serve the purpose of convicting you of habits in your life that need correction, and if this makes you really uncomfortable, like it did me, that might not be the worst thing that has ever happened to you. :) Ready? Here goes.  The authors here are quoting another author named Martha Peace:

I have heard of women who pride themselves on being "night people". That means they have trouble getting up in the morning because they come alive at night. They may stay up till all hours reading, watching television, or pursuing some sort of interest. The next morning they are too tired to get up and care for their family . . . These women are not "night people". They are lazy and selfish. Who would not rather stay up late to do whatever they please and sleep late the next day?

Ouch! I felt like I had been knocked over when I read that.  I know this is true of me, although it hurts to admit it.  As the authors sum it up, "If we are not morning people, then chances are we are simply on a night owl's schedule."

You know where I'm going with this, right? I have spent over one month thinking about The 5 AM Club, and have come to the conviction that in my own household, for me, 5 AM actually is an optimal time for me to get up.  

I challenge you to find anyone on the planet less likely to get up at 5 AM on a regular basis than I am. :) Do you know Bob and Claire's nickname for me in the morning? They call me "sleepy lump-lump."  They say it lovingly, but that is what they say, because in the morning, that is what I am! I am a sleepy lump-lump.  Think of a big ol' panda who is rolled up in a ball sleeping.  That's me.  I barely speak before 10 AM. I just grunt and chew on my bamboo shoot. So if I can do this, anyone can.

So. Would any of you like to join the 5 AM Club with me? (Even if your 5 AM is 6 AM?) Please don't answer now. Think about it and pray about it, and when we're done discussing the book, I'll post again on the 5 AM Club, and see if any of you are interested.  I am going to start this coming Monday morning, and I'll let you know how it goes.

If you don't have a problem in this area, and are already getting up early to spend some quality time with the Lord and to help your family, you have my deep respect, and I salute you. :)