Fall is a favorite for many of us, myself included, and it’s no wonder why we love it so much. Crisp weather, the anticipation of holidays and family time, the busyness of summer begins to slow down— the list could go on. As with every seasonal change, our routine tends to change in fall just like it does for summer. Whether school has started back up for you or you are navigating a routine with lots of littles at home, it can be easy to get in the mode of survival, taking it all day by day. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the survival mode during tough seasons. Grueling years at college, postpartum, your first year homeschooling—these new challenges are hard and you absolutely need to give yourself grace for them! But if you thrive on routine and are looking for some consistency in your daily devotion, I might have a few helpful tips today!
I say rhythms instead of routine and habit here because a rhythm is not rigid and unchanging. I have definitely tried some intense routines in our home and quickly learned that kids are just exceptional at disrupting said routines. So when we talk about some of these things to implement in your home, know that it’s okay for yours to look a bit different. The rhythm should serve YOU and your family.
In no particular order, here are five things that might help you establish a meaningful time with the Lord if it has grown stale or inconsistent.
- Try a new place! If the place you normally sit to read and pray is consistently distracting or not practical, try a new spot!
- Living room
- Kitchen table
- Your room, if getting up disturbs the rest of the house
- An office or desk if that helps you focus
- Outside
- If you have little ones that are up at inconsistent times, think about what they do every day that’s consistent. If it’s breakfast or a first nap or a play window, there’s nothing wrong with letting that be your devotion time. Is it wonderful to have some time before they wake up? Yes. But it’s also wonderful for them to see you study the Word and to hear you pray.
- Purchase a study book or devotional that you’re interested in or that focuses on an area you want to grow in your life. Perhaps a book on motherhood, a commentary on Proverbs or a study on worship. These help you go from reading to check off your box for the day, to searching the Scriptures because you want to know the Lord on a deeper level: what pleases Him and how to apply His words to your life.
- Make your meeting place with the Lord inviting. Find a candle you like and light it during your devotional time. Maybe a huge comfy blanket, maybe a good cup of coffee. Sometimes when chaos hits as soon as you open your eyes, (looking at you, toddler) these are a good way to relax and bring the focus back to what matters.
- Ask the Lord for direction in this area. I have a dear friend who is a missionary with two kids that they homeschool. Early in their homeschool journey, she was at a loss for how to instruct her kids in some subjects. She prayed and God gave her a plan to organize divided binders for each kid, when to go over the material, and how to check that they’d retained the information. God cares about the practical things!
We want to be women who are wise and intentional with our days. It’s so easy to get caught up in the everyday rush and say, “I’ll get back to that tomorrow”. Often, months pass and we realize we have missed many of the opportunities we had. If we establish a rhythm, there will still be days that get turned upside down, but we WILL see fruit in ourselves and in our homes from being consistent. Enjoy your fall, soak up every minute of these crisp mornings. Let’s grow in the Lord together!
