By Pat Haggerty

Many of us have daily rituals that we adhere to without fail.  My daily ritual began probably twenty or so years ago.  I measure the time based on the chairs I have sat in during the process.  I started off in a light green overstuffed chair in my den followed by a beige chair in the same room.  That changed when my daughter’s bedroom became my study once she left home for good to begin her own life in the adult world.

I now sit in a red and yellow comfy chair with butterflies strewn throughout it.  Beside the chair is my stack of spiritual reading, along with a Bible and my own self-created prayer book.

When I was working on a daily basis and when my children were in school, I started this “ritual” in the quiet hours of the morning when my children were still sleeping.  It began at 5:00 a.m. and lasted for a brief half hour.  It consisted of a list of daily prayers, a snippet from my spiritual reading du jour, and a cup of coffee.  I didn’t think the Lord minded if I put myself in His presence with a cup of coffee in hand.  The important thing was—and still is—I am with the Lord, things are usually quiet, and the time is totally dedicated to my conversation with Him.  How often do we invite friends over coffee to discuss important matters of life and friendship?  Many times!

I am now retired from my responsibilities as an elementary principal.  I work part-time—still in education.  I now volunteer more in my church and spend lots of time with my grand-children.  Life is good!

I still sit in my comfy chair following my ritual.  The only difference is that I don’t always feel compelled to get up at 5:00 a.m. any longer.  That is one of the treats of being retired!  I can have my conversations with the Lord at a later hour.  I know He is waiting for me.

So, now you can put into perspective the title of this blog:  “Reflections over Morning Coffee.”  I hope that you have your own time to spend with the Lord.  It is so important to stop, take a breath, and take a tiny respite from the hectic pace of life.  It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that is normalcy in today’s society:  check our emails, get on Facebook, and get on our iPads to read the paper.  Before doing those things, do what is really important and make time to reflect.

Meditate on the line from the Psalms:  “Be still and know that I am God!” (24:10)