The Importance of 9:00

     9:00 is my time. Yours may be different. And, ironically as I write this, I may have to cut it short, as nine is now nine minutes away. But I wanted to write this before I forgot.
     Relationships are built on communication. Without that, verbal, non-verbal, face-to-face, phone, email, written letter, Skype, IM, or even the brief attempts at communication known as texting, there is no relationship. So I have three times set aside for building my relationship to God, though only two are practiced on a daily basis--the third is sporadic.
      One, the morning. After gym, after breakfast, after dressing, fully awake, before work, half an hour. A time that, frustratingly, cannot be extended without making me late for work--and while His word is good, food for the soul and spirit and growth and health and life, the time limit puts a stress on it that is not good. For who would truly value a half-hour where the partner kept glancing at the clock? (As my eyes stray towards the top right of the computer--six more minutes till nine. God, please let me finish this in time.)
     Then, the only-sometimes-remembered-time--at seven in the evening, a friend of mine and I try to set aside ten minutes to thank God. It's incredible, ten minutes of a busy lifetime set aside to sit with him and realize what he as done throughout the day, encourage clear sight of God's hand and a love of His care. It's beautiful, it is hard, very hard, and it only gets better with practice. God, help, for practice I have fallen short on.
    Third, before I go to bed. I love evenings, for there comes a point when I set aside all tasks, all responsibilities--usually after eight or nine. I am worn, tired, so very tired, and yet, as I set responsibilities aside, energy springs up! For I am, at last, free! For fun, for work, for chores--what matters it, as long as it is my choice? Then, I usually procrastinate, clean, create...or write on blogs. It is suddenly hard to go to bed. And so I stay up later, and later, and late. Then, as I slowly stumble down the perilous impediments to gravity to bed, I am too tired to pray. I struggle to keep my mind alert, struggle to keep it focused, and it is hard to pray through the desire to crawl into the inviting bed.
    But if I go at nine, to meet the savior of chosen of mankind, what focus, what strength, what delight is mine! So, the importance of nine, leaving time for the meeting of human and divine God. For relationship.
     And it is now 21:01, or after nine. To bed I go--God, bless us all.