Before the children wake and before my phone starts buzzing, there is a small window — usually twenty minutes, sometimes less — that has quietly become the most important part of my day. Coffee, a Bible, and no agenda except to sit with God before the day makes its demands.
Jesus modeled this rhythm long before productivity culture tried to claim mornings for itself — rising while it was still dark to find a quiet place to pray (Mark 1:35). I do not always feel like getting up early. But the days I do almost always feel steadier than the days I skip it, not because the reading fixes anything instantly, but because I have remembered, before anyone needs me, whose I actually am.