Why I rise early.

I'm not a morning person. I would say I never have been, but that would be a lie. As a child, I used to wake up at 7am almost automatically. Then the teen years hit and I was able to sleep in. Now, I guard the few days a week that I'm able to sleep in.

But there are certain things that get me out of bed early. When school is in session, I rise early enough to enjoy a cup of coffee, a short devotional reading, and some time reading the Bible. I'm a slow mover in the morning, and I enjoy having time to wake up without needing to function in an interactive way (translation: roommates are usually still asleep, so no need to talk when I'm groggy). I've also realized that my days have a rhythm to them, and it's often hard to get a time that is uninterrupted by school work, text messages, phone calls, emails, classes, or people.

This summer, I'm interning at a church in western North Carolina. When the summer began, I went over the weekly schedule with the pastor. He mentioned a group of men that get together at the church on Friday at 7am to study scripture. Then he told me, "You don't have to be there, but you're welcome to come." I thought I'd show up the first couple weeks, just to see and be seen, but I've come to enjoy it. It provides a unique opportunity for fellowship and learning. I'll never be able to learn as much as the men in that room have at their disposal. There are too many backgrounds, experiences, educations, and vocations. It's humbling to hear the way they speak about and understand scripture. I'll never be able to understand how they understand. But I can sit with them, listen to them, speak with them, and learn from them.

Scripture is rich. It has many layers. It speaks to us about where we've come from. It speaks to us where we are. I could use the different perspectives. I could use the wisdom.

"Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another." Proverbs 27:17