Priorities

I’ve been called many things, and some of the things that I’ve been called, I don’t agree with. But, when someone calls me organized, I agree with them. I am organized. Setting my day in order and keeping it orderly, just comes naturally for me. But it comes naturally only because someone showed me Who comes first. 

The people we admire are the ones who we either consciously or subconsciously allow to influence us. My Grandma Weber influenced me. 

At first, Grandma’s life affected me only on a subconscious level. I observed and liked what I saw in her. She was quick witted and spoke her mind. She was intelligent, and possessed a sense of humor. Life in Grandma’s realm felt cohesive to me.

I liked spending time with her and since I had a cousin close to my age, we had the privilege of sleepovers at Grandma’s house. Her home was clean, the food scrumptious and playtime with my cousin was never interrupted by any of our sometimes annoying siblings.

Then my family moved away from Nebraska, where Grandma lived. The only way I could stay in touch with her was by mail. Though I know I did not write to her often, when I did, her letters back to me smelled like the lavender powder she always wore, reminding me of her, her orderly life and her smile. 

Four years after moving away from Grandma, circumstances forced Mom, my little brother and I to leave our family in Colorado and move back to Nebraska to live with Grandma.  A little older and living under her roof, Grandma’s influence moved to a conscious level with me. 

I watched and I learned from her because I wanted to emulate her life. Her grit, stamina, and wisdom, necessary for someone to open their home to the needs of three family members, kept her intact. She showed us only kindness and though our circumstances were strenuous on Mom, Grandma stabilized our lives for us.   

Living with her, I saw how she set and kept a specific purpose for every day of the week. Whether it was a day to grocery shop, bake, clean house or go to church, she kept that particular motive as the priority. 

What kept her on track? What kept her from veering off? I think she could align her purposes for each day because she aligned herself with her Creator, the One who gave her life a purpose in the first place.

While living with Grandma for those months, I slept with her in her bed. That is how I am privy to know how she started her days. On her back, lying in bed, with a rosary in her hand, and eyes closed Grandma began her day with prayer. I know her faith was anchored in an orderly God and I think because her faith originated with an orderly God, her life had order to it as well. 

My Days

I do start my days with prayer, but not while in bed and not with a rosary. Instead, I carry a cup of coffee up to my attic space, turn on the heat and a lamp. Sitting in my rocker, my Bibles, stack of books and a journal are within reach. I begin my day by setting my mind on things above and not on things of this earth. Doing so, aligns my mind and my actions to follow God’s lead.

Why Bother?

Why bother keeping first things first? Since watching my Grandma and practicing it for myself, starting my day with prayer; conversing with God, sets me up to keep the main thing of my day, the main thing; following God’s lead.