Alarming Habit

I noticed an alarming habit last Saturday.  It's not one I haven't picked up on before, but for some reason I felt very convicted about this habit as I drove home from the kitten and cat adoption center I volunteer with a couple of days a week. 

It was an especially busy Saturday at "the shelter", as we call it.    Here in New York, kitten season usually last from around April to November, but this year, following a mild winter we've been racing through the days there since February.  Saturday was no exception.  Sick kittens, kittens not eating as they should, potential adopters, cleaning, feeding, laundry (and more laundry)....on and on the day flows by filled with activity. 

As I started to drive away Saturday evening (I was there ten hours LOL), I realized that outside of a few grumbled complaints when I spilled some water or dropped something, I hadn't really acknowledged the Lord in any meaningful way.  Wow.  Conviction came fast and heavy.  I was so saddened by my behavior that the thought of it has been with me since. 

So often I determine to go through my day thankful and looking for opportunities to praise the Lord, and then busy happens.  And the fact that the only words I gave to the Lord that day were complaints, I was especially displeased with myself. 

This morning I woke up thinking about how much I want to break this habit.  As I was laying in bed for a few minutes before actually putting my feet on the floor to start another day, I looked at my alarm clock.  I was thinking about setting it for a little later and falling back to sleep.  I mean I knew I had to get up to accomplish the things I needed to today, but those few more minutes of snooze time were oh so tempting.  LOL  And that's when God "spoke" a word into my heart. 

I want gratitude to be a habit.  I want to acknowledge my Father's goodness over and over again throughout the day.  But how to remember?  How do I make it a habit?  I'm tired of wanting it to be so  only to meet with limited or unlasting  success.  The key word this morning...ALARM.  I will set my alarm!  I will set it for the start of each hour....I will give myself a physical reminder to make a great spiritual habit.   I've heard it takes thirty days to make a habit, so I want to do this little experiment for the next 30 days. 

This may be a little annoying at first.  I mean, the alarm sounding each hour?  But I need the push.  I need the jostle to my memory to remind me to set aside a few minutes to speak sweetness to my Savior.  I want this reminding!

What a innovative and creative God we serve!  I am so grateful and am ready to start this now Lord!.  Thank You for Your wisdom and creativity.  Even if I am thankful for the same five things each hour, it's still enough.  Lord, I don't want to make me day filled with complaints or ignoring Your Presence for long stretches of time, I want it filled with You and filled with praise and gratitude for and to You.   Lord, make this habit in each of us.  Give each of us the method that will work with our personalities so that we can come into the joy of Your Presence often, finding peace and strength throughout our day, especially when they are crazy and busy and we feel as if we are caught up in a whirlwind.  We need You!.  Thank You for being there.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen. 

Set your alarm today, put a string around your wrist, place reminder notes in prominent places, whatever it takes for You to remember the Lord in the craziness of the day.