Grace and Truth for Your Quiet Time
When my twins were little finding some one-on-one time with Jesus was… well, difficult to say the least. Quiet time? That was almost laughable.
I had four children ages five and under, so I learned to work with what I had. But I definitely made it work.
After I got my oldest off to school I would sit at the kitchen table with my breakfast and my Bible while the girls and younger son toddled around in the living room, successfully contained on the other side of the baby gate and occupied by shows like “Umizoomi” and “Handy Manny.”
My Quiet time hasn't always been quiet… Has yours? Click To TweetI would work on Scripture memory or learning the names of God while washing the dishes. And we had lots of fun kids songs that included Scriptures as well that we could do together. That was our season of life.
But I think my favorite time was between 2:30 and 3pm. It just so happened to be nap time for the twins. So, I figured out that if I loaded them up in the van, they would fall asleep on the 2 minute drive to the school. Where I could have 30 whole minutes of quiet time before the bell rang and boys came out.
Those were the 30 minutes I cherished the most. And the last 30 minutes of silence I would get until bedtime when I would usher them all to sleep. The girls had mastered climbing out of their cribs at a young age, so I had to sit in their bedroom until they fell asleep. I used that as quiet time, too.
Join the Conversation
These are all the thoughts that came rushing back to me as I read Sarah Geringer’s post, 7 Unconventional Prayer Closets this past week.
But I’d also love to hear from you. Is your quiet time always quiet? Has there ever been a season of life when it wasn’t? What kind of unconventional prayer closets have you utilized?
Join the conversation in the comments below, and then hop on over and check out Sarah’s post or vise-versa. (Oh, and if you’re a Christian blogger, don’t forget to come back and link up your most recent Christian living blog posts.)
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And, Sarah, feel free to grab the “I’ve been featured” badge and add it to your post so your reader’s can celebrate with you.
P.S. If you’re wondering, I chose the featured image for this post because one summer, years later, yet still several years ago now, one of my twins got up early every morning so she could have quiet time with me. I never got my one-on-one time with Jesus that summer, but I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.
I love this linkup and I’m honored to be featured here today!
Thanks, Sarah! Loved your post!
This is such a precious reminder – time with God doesn’t have to look like we think it should. God knows our season in life and sees our heart. And I know your kids benefit from seeing your diligence to spend time with the Lord in every season.
Yes! Sometimes it’s tempting to get frustrated because our quiet time doesn’t look like it “should,” but that’s what Satan wants. All Jesus wants is time with us. He doesn’t care if its on the go, shared with our kids, or one-on-one. He just wants our hearts.
Thank you not only for this link-up to share our writing, but for this reminder. I was just discussing with my daughters the importance of quiet time and making it a habit. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for stopping in, Maryann!
Oh to be interruptable while our kids are still at home, even durring my time with God. It is my hearts desire though sometimes I want that quiet time. Still, when I let them interrupt and we connect and share I know they are seeing Christ in me.
Yes. I’m always torn between wanting to share Jesus with my kids and wanting that one-on-one time with Him.
What a sweet story! You are one committed Momma! My oldest granddaughter saw me doing my morning quiet time when she visited last summer, and so we did it together. I’m hoping she will want to continue this year.
It’s such a special time, isn’t it?
Now that our kids are grown my quiet time is always. But I do miss the noisy times & appreciate those times now when we are all together.
I bet. My oldest is a sophomore this year and some of his friends are graduating. I’m starting to see the time fly by and I know I’m going to miss this.
Ha, I remember “stealing” quiet time as I sat next to my son’s crib as he fell asleep. I’d pray (and sometimes fall asleep, too, sitting up!).
I think those memories will be with us forever. But I didn’t know back then how precious those moments were.
My quiet time is still not always quiet (my kids are 10 and 12), but it’s definitely beneficial no matter what. I love that you’ve found a way to stick it in around your daily activities!
Thanks, Sarah! I always thought that multitasking my quiet time was better than skipping it altogether.
I enjoy my quiet time either before the kids wake up or after they go to bed in the evenings. It is so necessary for my to find those moments alone.
Now that my kids are all in school, I have my quiet time after I drop them off in the morning when the house is quiet. It is wonderful to have those moments alone.
Oh man I’m going through it & have before.. it’s so hard with little babies.
I’ve tried to let go of the “rules” – as long as I am pursuing God in prayer, Scripture, and in the way I live.. I love the verse Pray without ceasing. We can be in constant communication… in the bathroom, in the car, as I go to sleep, when I brush my teeth – all have happened.
That said, I am putting a schedule together for myself to make sure I’m getting into the word & prayer more. We’ll see how it goes.
I think as long as we are pursing God, that’s what really matters. Hope your new schedule goes well!
For years now, my prayer closet has been the bathroom! It just works! And more recently it’s the car because I get a 45 minute commute to myself most mornings! Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for stopping in, Amber. My husband uses his car as well. He has a long commute as well, so it just works.
I remember well the days when my children wer toddlers. Both rest and quiet times were scarce. Isn’t it wonderful that God is patient and merciful, and yet accompanies us in those times?
Yes it is! God is so good.