Routines

Day after Day I find myself falling into routines. Before the sun ever rises, I consistently slap at an inanimate object commonly referred to as my alarm clock. The sound of the music is so quiet that only myself and the oversensitive ears of my dogs can hear it. My goal is to snooze out the time every nine minutes trying to stretch out those last few minutes. I pray silently before I take that last roll over, "Please God, as I go to meet you, make it worth my while." Undoubtedly, the cries and the whines of the canines prevail and I am forced to make my feet meet my slippers and focus the glasses and begin the day. The day of routines.

The dogs are out. The coffee is poured. With Bible, paper and pen in hand I head to the chair to meet God in hopes that my prayer for 'worthwhiledness' is fullfilled. Always, when I am open, He manages to show up at my breakfast table and pop some distinct clarity straight from His pages to my pages. For that routine, I am thankful.

I step into the shower to the tunes of the Christian radio station in preparation for morning prayer time. Somehow, they always seem to be playing Nichole C. Mullen's 'I know My redeemer lives' or Avalon's 'Can't live a day without you'. I hear the requests from the radio staff and I am prompted to pray for those who have called in with marital problems, for those who are sick or having surgery and those, including ourselves who are in need of financial provisions. This is a routine.

Showering, dressing, hair and makeup all fall into a futile routine that times itself according to the 'Weather on the 4's' and sports. God forbid that a power outage or change in programming occur to irregulate this routine. With routine in tact, the 7:00 hour is in full force and we are quickly being welcomed and greeted by Katie Couric and others who start their mornings in my 'middle of the night.' It's time to wake my spouse and with sleepy eyes and scope desperate breath, I am assured that he will meet me for prayer before I leave. THIS is a routine.

We pray for the day, the kids and of course, our job situation. I grab the last cup of coffee, return to the bedroom for one final mirror check and head out the door, tripping over the dogs. I head for the 'Z' car pushing away spiderwebs and bees and sit in the dampness that managed to leak its way into my seat. This too is a routine.

The route to work is always the same. The water department truck, the power truck are passed. A man with his cigarette in one hand and a dog leash in the other always fertilizing the same spot. The radio D. J. and his morning contests keep the cell phone close at hand just in case they need a comment or a winner. This is a routine.

Arrival at work leads to various events that push their way to five o'clock when I once again return to the same road that I seem to have just travelled. As I enter back home, I am greeted by the same animals that were once my stumbling block. Oprah reruns, unthawed supper and finally a substitute pot of leftovers eventually bring us all to a new episode of reality t.v. that is everything from Unbelievable, So Fake, Totally Impossible or just plain Stupid. This too is a routine.

I have settled on my bed with my laptop in lap for online chats with my family and friends and most probably a game of spades. As the theme song for the 11:00 news begins to play, I am drawn from my 'bed desk' to begin the routine reversal. This series of events is where the routines come full circle. The clothes that were put on are taken off, the makeup that was painted on is washed off. The final phase is when my head hits the pillow and the circle begins again. This is a routine.

I hope that my relationship with the Father is more than a wasted routine. I hope that the things that are done through the day are recognized for their purpose in my life and that the roar of my life would not drown out his still small voice. My desire is that as I routinely drive to and from place to place, that I not become mesmerized in a hynotic state, failing to remember that God is trying to have a conversation with me from the passenger seat. I pray that the routines in my life will be positive routines and not negative. THIS TOO MUST BE A ROUTINE.