So you’ve decided to try to make daily quiet time a priority, now what does that look like? Well my ideal day is getting up at 6:30am, exercising while my coffee brews, and then sitting down for 15-20 minutes of quiet time before Liam wakes up. Ha!

Reality is being woken up by Liam at 6:15, feeding, and reading to Liam, then putting him down to play. While brewing my coffee Ethan wakes up. I make breakfast, put Liam down for his nap, and clean up breakfast. After that I warm my coffee back up, and then Ethan wants to play cars. I play cars with Ethan, and then try to get a few moments of quiet time in between playing with Ethan and Liam waking up. Usually, Liam wakes up.

This is why I really need a short devotional for mothers of young children. Time for one thing, and for another, often the lives of men like Abraham, Moses, and Paul just don’t connect well with me in the midst of baby food, Cheerios, and diaper changes. I open the Bible during my few moments of peace, only to come away frustrated because it doesn’t always seem relevant to my daily life.

Right now I’m doing the study I mentioned by Pricilla Shirer. I was so excited yesterday when I finished the week’s homework thinking I was staying on track, only to find that I am really a week behind. Ugh! Oh, well! At least I’m trying. My shelves are littered with quarter and half-finished Bible studies because I fell off the wagon or forgot about them.

The truth is you need to try and find whatever works best for you in whatever time you have available. If it is a short devotional sent to your phone each day. That works! If it is grabbing a verse on the run. That works! One of my friends with several children gets her time with God as she teaches her children. That works too!

Try thinking of God as one of your friends. You check Facebook here and there throughout your day to keep up with friends—I know you do. I do, too. And you rarely have time to just sit down and talk for a long time, but you still stay connected and continue to build that relationship.

Try to do the same with God. Spend time with him throughout your day as you are able. A verse here as you put the kids down to play, a prayer there as you wash dishes or fold laundry, a few minutes of music in the car. Friend, God understands. He’s not mad or upset that you don’t have a whole 30 minute chunk in your day. And on days you completely forget, and they will happen often, don’t beat yourself up. God doesn’t. Instead, just keep trying to do better the next day.  Remember: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).