Treasure

I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

—Psalm 59:16

Our morning routine is fast, loud and messy, running circles to get backpacks packed and diapers changed, water bottles filled and coffee made.

After too many days of being the worst kind of cranky mom—where I snapped at everyone and set the bowls down on the counter for cereal with a thunk that made everyone jump, I thought to myself, There has to be a better way to do this. There has to be a way to live these mornings with more soul and patience.

I began praying in the morning, sometimes even just for thirty seconds, right after I heard Mac yell for the first time, until the yelling became more insistent. And the word I prayed was treasure. God, these children are my treasures. I treasure our time together. Help me to steward the treasure you’ve given me—every moment, every hour.

We still have our meltdowns, of course. I’m still committed to copious amounts of strong coffee along with the praying. But the prayer reminds me what the morning time is: a chance to make the three boys in my life feel loved and ready to face the world.