The Abundant Wife

This morning I was running late.  I’ve been feeling under the weather for the last two days, with a sore throat and congestion in my head and chest.  Still I reminded myself that this was the last day of walking and praying this week, and then tomorrow is Saturday.  I grabbed a few posters advertising the next club, and headed out the door.  I took some posters to the school’s front office, and then kept going.  My brain felt fuzzy from being tired and sick, so I was a bit distracted.

As I walked down the street behind the football stadium, I spotted a large basset hound ambling around his front yard.  I wasn’t worried; my dad is a veterinarian, so I’m very comfortable around animals.  I looked around and asked out loud for an owner, but there was no one around.  The dog briefly acknowledged me, but then went back to sniffing around.  As I went to walk past his house on the sidewalk, the dog suddenly let out a howl and ran straight at me.  He lunged at my body, but I side-stepped him so that the weight of his body hit my legs instead, almost knocking me over.  I stumbled, but then kept on walking as usual.  Thankfully he didn’t attempt to bite me, but went right back to ambling around the yard as if nothing had happened.

I didn’t know how to respond to the surprising interruption in my walking routine.  I did take a few moments to look around, wondering if anyone else had just seen what happened, but again there was no one around.  However, I was now wide awake and very aware of my surroundings.  I laughed at the ridiculousness of an old basset hound almost taking me out.

Like the basset hound interrupting my walking routine, getting up to walk and pray every morning has interrupted my daily routine.  My head feels clearer, and I feel more aware of my surroundings.  My husband appreciates my investment in the ministry, and my kids appreciate the time I’m spending with them.  I feel more in tune Brad and the kids, and I feel like my priorities are more in order.  I like that I’m now showered and dressed by 7:30am every day, and that I’m getting at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.  I also like that I’m getting about an hour of alone time and just getting out of the house 5 days a week.  I love having the time to pray, think, and reflect at the beginning of each day.  So aside from the obvious benefits of praying, getting up early to pray has really shaken up my daily routine in a good way.

I’m really glad I decided to take on this challenge.  If you have been walking and praying for your local high school, I hope you are pleased with the changes it is making in your life too.