Quiet time when a 3 year old is around?

Every morning I get up a little earlier than my little ones should be getting up. I sneak out of bed, turn on the coffee, let my dog out to do his business, fix my coffee with the right amount of creamer, sit down with my prayer books and Bible ready to spend some quiet and much needed time with my Father. Usually my first prayer when I go to bed is "Lord, please let my children sleep through the night, and let them sleep late enough in the morning that I can spend time with you".

I think God has sense of humor. I can almost time when my 3 year old precious son will wake up, right as I say "Good morning Lord!" I can hear his sweet little voice screaming my name in his bedroom, "Mommy!!!!!!!! I want UP!!!!!!!!" I try not to sigh, roll my eyes or groan in frustration. After all, I am praying for patience, kindness and long suffering. I try to ignore him and pray my heartfelt, desperate prayers. Can the Lord hear me through the screams? Is He laughing? (I might be if it weren't me). Finally, I tell my 3 year old son he can get up and sit on the couch only if he is QUIET. Did I say 3 year old and quiet in the same sentence? Ha! I keep reminding him "Mommy is talking to Jesus", "Mommy needs to spend time with Jesus", "Mommy needs this time with Jesus so she can be happy". He says "I'll be quiet Mommy...... but I want yogurt!", and "Mommy, I want my colors!", "Mommy, whatcha doin?", "I need to go tee-tee!", "why is the sun still sleeping?", "why is the moon white?", " I tooted!!!!"......................

I ask for forgiveness as my eyes involuntarily roll into the back of my head, close my books and Bible and ask the Lord to give me huge amounts of grace. I'll have to be happy with my little tidbits of time with Him through the day.

I try to remind myself that this time with my children will pass all too quickly, and once it has passed, I will have all the quiet time I want in the mornings. So I pray that I find joy and humor in my interupted quiet times. But I find myself praying again that the Lord will wake me up even earlier (can I possibly get up any earlier...5:00 Lord?), so I can have maybe 5 minutes of "quiet time" with Him.

~Abbye