Getting up early? Who doesn't like to sleep in? Health studies say we need 7 to 8 hours of sleep as adults! Some studies say, let the sun wake you in the morning, it is good for you. Yet I found many years ago that getting up before the family was such a blessing to our family life and to me personally. A time of quiet solitude that does my soul good. You see, it's the waking up that is hard, once you put those feet on the floor and rev up the brain you will find that it is the very best part of your day, uninterrupted quiet without any one's needs to care for but your own. To me it is a selfish pleasure.
I am always amazed at how many times the Bible is right about things, entire books have been written on the amazing principles that are in the Bible that have been discovered as truths practiced in medicine, science, business, child-rearing, etc. These truths were written hundreds of years before modern society had discovered them. My few of my favorites you will find on this link Truths from the Bible , take a look and see, you too, will be amazed!
All that to say I think that a Virtuous Woman gets up early, she takes the time to prepare for the day, she has some time to think and organize and pray before the household arises. We look at the virtuous woman and wonder at her ability to get so many things done . . . perhaps it is because she was up early, her life was purposeful because she started it that way, early in the day. Jesus should be our guide and example in life. Numerous times we are told Jesus got up early to have time with His Father, to pray, perhaps to work out with His Father what was to be done that day, go to the Jordan river and see cousin John or drive the sellers out of the the temple. If Jesus did it, maybe I should too! Getting up early helps us to prioritize our day before it getting moving so fast we are swept along with it like a leaf in a stream.
I do a lot of reading, business type books and audios, what is interesting to me is each and everyone of them talks about the importance of starting the day early, organizing early and making a plan for the day. Maybe God placed the Virtuous Woman in the bible to help us girls see how we can do that too, our lives are so different from men, they don't seem to have the same family responsibilities that we girls do, in all my working years I never saw a man stressing on the colors of the birthday cake for the birthday boy at daycare. Maybe God knows our need to be on top of things but sees that we need a bit of insight to go in that direction - because most girls I know are exhausted! My thought is that the stress of all that we have to get done is a day causes much of that, maybe by better planning and seeking God's guidance before we get started could alleviate some of that stress - and help us to plan an earlier bedtime. One of my very favorite verses on this subject goes like this in Proverbs 9:11 "Wisdom will multiply (or lengthen) your days and add years to your life".
In a practical sense what does this look like? Maybe start with going to bed a bit earlier, that will help with the morning sleepies, setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier than the earliest riser in the family and using that for your "me only" time will help you to get started. Shoot for a full 60 minutes and find that your whole day will change focus and you will have direction and organization. . . and breakfast for the family, lunch for the hubby and a part of God's words to you tucked away to help you make it thru your day!
Recite this verse thru the day today, pray about it, ask God to speak to you about what you could do to make this virtue a part of your life. Imagine your family's delight at a happier you in the morning!
Proverbs 31:14 "She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her husband and plans the days work for her servant girls. (on this servant girl part . . . think microwave, refrigerator, toaster, dishwasher, dryer, washer, cell phone, computer, car, premixed dinners, McDonalds, etc.)
