I’ve heard it said that what you do and say in the first 30 seconds of the day are the most important of the day because that half-minute will set the tone for the rest of the day. As a corollary, the first 30 seconds of your interactions with your spouse, kids, and even co-workers will often set the tone of those relationships for the day.
Have we disciplined our minds to immediately acknowledge God the moment we become conscious? Notice, I didn't say the moment we open our eyes, but the moment we are awake. What was your first thought today? Is your default thinking mode set to "tasks to complete", "people to manage", and "issues to resolve." Or, was your attention, adoration and ambition focused on Jesus. What were the first words you spoke to each of your family members this morning? What was the tone? What did your body language and facial expression communicate? Were you irritated, harried or distracted? Or, were you present in the moment, aware of the divine nature of the encounter? The wisdom of Brother Lawrence a Carmelite monk has often challenged me to a keen awareness of God's presence. The book Practicing the Presence would be worth your time to read. “He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.” ― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
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