Questions and Answers

"Mommy, what's a virgin?"  "What does circumcised mean?"  These are just two of the questions I've been asked by my 6-year-old in the last week.  Why the interesting questions?  It all started with a question I asked a week ago.

I was with a group of lady friends, many of whom are busy moms like myself, and I asked,  "How do you make daily 'quiet time' happen in your day? I go non-stop from the time my first child wakes until the last child goes to sleep.  I try to get up before they do so I can have some time alone in prayer and Bible study.  But a lot of times it just doesn't happen.  I'm up through the night with the baby who still nurses several times each night, and when the alarm clock goes in the morning I just end up hitting the snooze button again and again until a child finally wakes up demanding my attention.  After they go to bed at night I'm so tired again that if I try to pray and read I end up just falling asleep.  So, how do you do it?"

The answer I got from other moms in similar circumstances was so simple yet so profound.  The first person said, "For me, quiet time isn't usually quiet".  Okay.  So you manage to get it while the children are running circles around you?  How does that work?  Then someone else spoke up, "When the kids are strapped into the car and can't move.  I have my quiet times in the car." Light bulb moment!

Living in the country, I have a half hour drive one way to get anywhere.  With all the kids' extra-curricular activities and regular errands, that adds up to a minimum of 7 hours per week when I am 'stuck' in the van.  I had felt like that was so much 'wasted' time.  Not anymore!  I dug out my New Testament audio CDs and started listening this week!  So far we've listened through Luke, Acts, Romans and most of 1 Corinthians.

Not only am I getting my time in the Word every day, my whole family is hearing God's Word for many more hours each week.  My husband and I are having conversations together about what we are hearing. And of course there are the questions from the kids that began this post and many more.  God is showing me things in His Word that I never noticed before and I'm so hungry for more!

So, if you're a busy mom and like me and you feel like you have no 'quiet time' to spend alone with God, let me encourage you like my friends encouraged me.  It doesn't always have to be quiet to be valuable.  Think about the time in your day that feels 'wasted'.  For me it's the many hours each week that I sit in the van.  Maybe for you it could be while preparing supper, sorting laundry or even in the shower.  Think outside the 'early morning all alone with a hot cup of tea, an open Bible and at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time' box.  Ask God when He wants to have that special time with you.  You'll be glad you did.

*Side note- If your interested in an audio Bible christianbook.com has a sale on now- an NIV complete Bible on CD for just $24.00!  http://www.christianbook.com/niv-live-bible-experience-cds-with/9780983422990/pd/422907?event=Bibles