It’s amazing what gets done when people who are gifted and eager to work begin. Enduring beauty is the result. Where do your gifts and eagerness intersect? How will you beautify this world?

I awoke this morning five minutes before the alarm. Early morning is my favorite time of the day. The day begins with carefully curated coffee, a healthy snack, and time alone with God. The dogs gather with me. My bride a floor below follows a similar routine. 

There are days when my routine is interrupted. Life happens. Last Friday, the dogs had an early appointment with the vet. This morning it is snowing. We don’t get much snow, so I had to stop what I was doing for a few minutes to enjoy the tiny flakes before they move on toward the south and east. 

It is easier to arise eagerly in the morning when I go to bed on time the night before. The rhythm of early to bed and early to rise has worked quite well over the decades. 

Some people have different body clocks. A friend does his best thinking late at night. He puts everyone to bed and then reads, writes, and plans. He does not arise before the sunrise. 

When are you most eager to do your best work? Carey Nieuwhof’s book, At Your Best, helps us distinguish when we are at our best, when we can do good work but not with the same intensity of focus, and when we should probably stop attempting to do anything creative. This idea is a gift to us all. 

There’s a chance we in this region will work from home today and tomorrow. That’s fine with me. I will still arise at the normal time. I will follow my routine. I will focus on my most important work when I am at my best. I will switch to task completion mode when I am less creative. I will do the grunt work when my powers of focus have been exhausted for the day. 

How about you? Are you able to organize your day in a similar manner? 

The dogs remind me that my trip to watch the snow fall has delayed their breakfast by six minutes so far. Therefore, I will wrap up these thoughts with an application and a prayer. Join me.

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I will maximize my productivity in those hours when I am at my best.

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Our Father, thank you for the gifts you give each of us. Thank you for our biological clocks. Thank you for blessing us with those daily hours when we bring focus and eagerness together to join you in beautifying this world. Amen.