A push towards Faithfulness

God often takes a back burner in my life. He's there on Sunday (unless the weather's bad) and during part of my 1 1/2 hour commute (My radio doesn't get great reception- so I can only listen to Life 102.5 for about 25/ out of 45 minutes each way)- and that's only if I'm not in the midst of an engaging book on CD from the library. Some evenings I'll read one of three devotional books that sit on my nightstand. I've only made it all the way through one of them ("Claiming God's Promises for Women 30 Daily Devotions") and despite the structured nature of "Jesus Calling: devotions for every day of the year,"  I tend to pick up these books sporadically. As for prayer, I can hardly make it through to Amen before falling asleep. Sure, I pray all day: "God, please don't let me be late!", "Help me put aside my anger and forgive this person's rudeness," and try to take a moment to pray for anyone who posts a prayer request on Facebook or via e-mail. If I'm having a particularly rough morning or day, I'll pray during my commute. I know a lot of friends have expressed frustration with carving out time for devotion. At the present time, I work 54+ hours a week, spend 1 1/2- 2 hours driving to and fro and all around Madison 6 days a week, volunteer on Tuesday evenings, try to visit my mom one day a week, run errands, do laundry, pay bills, help my husband at home, try to spend meaningful (non-screen) time with him, and find time to sew and craft gifts. Most days, my to-do list overflows from one day to the next. I go to bed frustrated and tired at 10:30 or 11pm, only to hit the snooze every ten minutes from 5:05 to 5:45 am. I rush out the door, drive 75mph on a 55mph highway an barely make it to work on time. My new year's resolution was to make sleep a priority. I'm failing miserably. 

Instead of trying to cram a devotion in at the end of a crazy, frustrating day, I'm going to try to commit to waking up earlier to make God a priority. Early mornings are not my specialty and I'm pretty sure Thursday and Friday mornings (when I leave for work at 6am and don't return home until 9:45 pm) are going to be challenging. 

A few weeks ago, during a sermon on Luke 8:4-15 (the parable of the seeds on packed vs. rocky vs. weed-infested vs. rocky soil), my pastor shared a practice a well-respected British theologian does each and every morning: the minute his feet touch the floor, he prays the same prayer. " 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.' Lord, let me put out these fruits today in my life." http://www.blackhawkchurch.org/sunday/this-weeks-message/message-archive/?sermon_id=177

In a week or two, my church will be moving on to a year long study of Hebrews, but I'm still stuck in Galatians  I've tried to pray this prayer every morning for the past 3 weeks, but I'm embarrassed to admit that I've only remembered to do so a few times. This verse (Galatians 5:22) still resonates with me; in part because during the sermon, Pastor Dolson had us commit it to memory. I memorized this verse years ago, as a k-8 student at St. Paul's Lutheran school, but somehow, I keep forgetting one of the fruits: faithfulness. (The irony is not lost on me). 

I wanted to resonate on each of the fruits of the spirit, one at the time and intended to start on "love" today, but I've run out of time. 

I intend to post my daily ruminations on a blog sometime this week, but will also e-mail each day if you'd prefer. If you aren't interested in receiving this e-mail, please let me know. I appreciate all and any feedback and apologize in advance for any spelling or grammatical errors (I'm dwelling on my use of irony right now- was that correct?) Remember, it's early!  Anyway, I'm leaving you with the verse in the full context below.

I'm sending my love an remembering you in my prayers as I drive to work today!

~Cath

Life by the Spirit

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.