One Saturday Morning

Despite a very late night, I still woke up quite early and couldn’t get back to sleep. Soon I decided to just get up and begin the day.

In a few minutes I had set out my Bible and notebook before me at the table and cupped my hands around my hot mug of peppermint tea. Outside the lounge and dining room windows I could see the hills and woods wrapped in a light morning fog. The soft morning sun touched the low-lying clouds and made them glow with its kiss. Inside the house, no one stirred; everyone was still enjoying their sleep-in. Surely, the comfortable, warm bed was so much more preferable than sitting alone in the dining room with the air lingering cold on cheeks and fingers.

But I didn’t mind. It’s not always that any of us have the opportunity in a busy home to have a moment alone. I covered the mouth of my hot mug with my hands, and felt the steam condense on my cold palms as I studied Romans 9-11. Soon I was wrapped in that beautiful gem of Scripture, as Paul spoke of the nation of Israel and God’s plan of redemption.

As I pondered on the Word, I looked up and stared out the dining room window. Jotham had woken up during the early part of my Quiet Time and had donned on his thick jacket, scarf, and boots to go and let the chickens out. Now he was trudging up the trail leading to the chicken coops on the edge of the backwoods. Takoda was with him. That beautiful border collie pup! How he frisked and frolicked around Jotham, running a little farther up and turning around to face Jotham. As Jotham would step closer, Takoda would prance away and run off a little father on. Takoda kept this up until they were at the edge of the woods, then he got distracted and galloped around the chicken coops.

I turned back to my Bible and slid my hands around my mug. A little later, I wrote down verses that I found especially precious, then began a little commentary on them. Upon looking out of the dining room window again, I observed Isaac-John accompanying Jotham and Takoda back to the house. There Takoda was, still playfully trying to catch the boys’ attention. Jotham kept up his casual and rhythmic trudge trudge trudge back to the house, whereas Isaac-John good-naturedly teased the puppy and ran around in circles with him.

One by one, the family woke up. Soon Gilead pattered up to me in his pajamas and I pulled him up onto my lap. Eagerly he told me of the lots and lots of caterpillars he and Mom had discovered yesterday in the garden while I was away at work. I hugged the dear little boy and let him go. After finishing the last bit of my tea, I closed my Bible.

Outside, just above the gum trees, I saw that the sun had tucked away the morning fog, revealing an azure blue sky. It was Saturday morning. :)