How important is routine?

As I was thinking today about routine, I was going through my own.  Damon had just left for work, so I offer Makayla a sandwich (or whatever she's in the mood for, aka her mid-day snack) and I set out to sweep and dust the house.  I realize that by not cleaning any over the weekend, just how much my routine of not cleaning for 2 days (which I don't clean on Sundays anyways) makes a difference.

Dust piles are pretty big.  :-)

Then I think about routines relating to children.  How a baby changes a couple's routine before baby came along.  It changes so much.  It changes how much sleep you get and how you view everything around you, right down to the type of products you buy.  And how routine is what establishes good sleep habits (or bad!).  Routine is what builds prayer time.

And reading God's word.

That's a routine I need to get back into, I realize as I'm pondering on all of this.  Reading God's word is like fuel.  I read several chapters the other night in 1st Corinthians.  Scripture I had read before, many times, but God's word never fails to touch our hearts right when we need it. 

I was reading on the importance of spiritual gifts and how they are to be desired.  And the order in which they are deemed 'important' (at least that's how it came off to me).  I realized things that I was taught by preachers from an early age weren't factual according to scripture.  What they were deeming most important, actually wasn't.

Interesting.

So, how important is routine?  My routine of not being in God's word like I should was an eye opener to me. 

You never know what you might learn if you break free from your routine.

:-)