About the Author

Anna works full-time for DaySpring from Minnesota, where she lives with her husband and four kids. Anna is the author of A Moment of Christmas and Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul, and she shares the good stuff of the regular, encouraging you to see the ordinary glory in your everyday.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
Recent Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anna,

    I had to smile when I read this line and thought you were getting personal: —> “Some people are morning folk, chirpy like a robin.” Because that IS me :). I think you know I have real sleep issues (under a doctor’s care), but I’m STILL a morning person; I’m a pumpkin practically after dark. I cannot help these rhythms of sleep…it’s ridiculous what time I awaken in the morning.

    So rather than apologize for being an early bird, I find myself constantly apologizing when I’m around night owls who can go for hours longer than me :/.

    Your post reminded me how quick we are in the South (*women*) are to apologize for just about everything! Not just our own peculiarities, but anything that someone doesn’t suit another or live up to their expectations. Your thoughts here are wonderful redirect for our thinking, remembering Whose we are and what that means for our lives and being :).

    And for the record, I cannot imagine you as a grumpy troll, but only the best hugger I know <3. 🙂

    xo

    • So true…As a fellow Southern gal, I feel like I am constantly apologizing!

    • Wish I could wrap you in a big hug today, my friend. I am pretty convinced that as women in general, we apologize far more often than necessary. I’ve been focusing on this with my own self and with my daughters. We work on offering apologies when we’ve done harm, hurt or wronged someone, etc. as opposed to offering one up for things we can’t help (and actually aren’t sorry for!), like being a night owl or early bird. Nothing wrong with either! Love you friend.

  2. I loved this article. I’m more of the morning person. We are all quirky in our ways and our good, good Father made us just the way we are. Thanking him for his goodness and for you for writing this and making me smile

  3. Anna,

    My philosophy has been “God made me this way. Deal with it.” I am who I am by God’s loving design. I don’t apologize for enjoying the outdoors or walking fast at work. Like you said nothing we do surprises God. He knows us intimately. Just love who you are & be the best person God made you to be.

    Blessings 🙂

  4. I too am a morning person for sure! I’m usually in bed by 10 with a book. The thought of being up late is not appealing! My husband on the other hand really enjoys it. So it works good for us as he’s not a reader so I go in and read and he enjoys looking at U tube videos about home repairs etc. But I love my time in the morning with coffee and my time with Jesus!

  5. Thanks for a much needed message. While even at almost 81, I’m totally opposite of you. Up by 5:30 or 6. Devotions, warm up exercises and off for 1/2 hour or more daily walk. BUT find myself apologizing often for silly things or feeling guilty unnecessarily. With God’s help I’ll try to change.

    • Betsy I’ve found that as women, we often utter apologies that are unnecessary. It’s been an exercise in discipline for me to try and stop apologizing for things that I’m actually not sorry about (for instance, the night owl thing!) and instead serve them up when I’ve harmed or hurt someone, etc. Thank you for being here today!!

  6. Wow did this resonate. I am one of those chirpy morning types. Even though I am retired. no matter when I get to sleep, I am wide awake at 5. But I love watching the sun come up and the peace and quiet of my surroundings. But what really resonated with me was that I recently realized what has been bothering me. And thank you as I need to remember God wired me this way- high energy, loud voice, Brooklyn New York accent (although I have been gone from NY since 1983), pushy, impatient, ready to tell you what I think, etc., etc., etc. I am now living in a 55+ community (I am 67 and surrounded by much older residents) and have been trying to be something I am not. And spending so much alone time this past year+ has not helped. Rather I feel like I have a whole lot of pent up energy and craziness to get out. OK LORD, help me accept who I am and be thankful.

    • Madeline I wish we could get together for a cuppa! I’d love to spend time with you and hear that loud accented voice 🙂 I love your prayer — “OK LORD, help me accept who I am and be thankful.” AMEN sister! Lean in to who God made you to be; I know she’s wonderful 🙂

  7. I love, love, love your message. I am a night owl by nature, and was always apologetic, but my adult daughter reminds me constantly, momma, you have earned your time to choose, go for it. Great advice from my wise daughter, and I enjoy late nights and sleeping in late. God bless you, enjoy being you, perfect in God’s image. ✝️ ❤

  8. Anna!

    I was literally just praying about guilt this morning and how it wrecks havoc in the heart and body… Thank you for this! I was like, “I’m sorry God for not being more ______ with my kids.” The list was loooooong. And you know what He said, “How about you tell me what you are doing right.” What grace and love! Thank you for these words, my friend! They were just what I needed today.

    Blessings to you and your lucky fam,
    Becky Beresford

  9. Anna,
    Although my daughter is now a young adult and married, I get this! In general, I apologize all day for tons. Most often I apologize for things that I can’t do because of my rare heart and lung disease. But again, sometimes, I apologize for being sick and needing to rest.

    We didn’t remember to offer grace and empathy to ourselves as we do for others.

    For all of you at home with young kids, you’re doing so much right. Try to remember and hold on to those things.

  10. Just what I needed to read this morning! I’ve Ben struggling this week with just this. Thank you!

  11. Anna,
    This was such a refreshing read. All of us are different. God made us different on purpose. This why we need to give each other grace. I appreciate you being honest. I spent a lot of years apologizing for having a career that had me working six days a week with long hours. Then God reminded me that he is with me and he has sounded me with a group of people who not only understand but they empathize with me and I do the same for them. This was an excellent read. I needed the reminder.

  12. It was wonderful to read your “post”. as I like many others who commented, am a “night owl” and just like your Mom, I “spoke” to God and told HIM that if he would “get me through” my 33 years of teaching and getting up at 6, that I would like to start a new pattern of getting up at 10 and going to bed at 1. And so far, it has worked! We are all created different and need to find what works best for us! Stay Blessed all of you “out there”!!

  13. Beautiful….. let’s have more of this …. freedom to be who we are called to be ❤️

  14. Dear Anna
    Thank you for this different aspect on our unique body clocks. I have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Obstructive Sleep Apnoea so between them both jostling for me to stay awake, there’s not much sleep happening at night. My problem is trying to get to church and when I manage to get there, I struggle to keep awake during the sermon which I really want to hear. Sometimes I find myself leaving early as I can’t keep awake. I’m slowly starting to realise if I need sleep during the day to just do it. Thankyou so much for your encouraging writing.

    • Dear Louise,
      I understand exactly what you mean. I to have fibromyalgia. It is so hard to get a good nights sleep & don’t even think about wake up refreshed. I have been diagnosed for 19 years now. I have realized over the years that when I excepted the fact of not being able to do things it made it so much easier. I still struggle with feeling like I have to apologize for so much that I can’t do. Sending hugs.

  15. Thank you!! My body’s internal clock is sleeping 1am-10am too. I’m at my most productive from 10pm – 1 am, yet I always feel the need to apologize for my sleep schedule because it’s different from “the norm”. Nice to know I’m not alone

  16. You just described me all the way down to the blue eyes & right handed. I’m always embarrassed when people realize that I can sleep until 10am or later. I have to set an alarm to wake up, every day. Thank you for reminding me that it is ok to be a night owl.

    • No embarrassment necessary, Janine, but I sure do understand where you’re coming from and have felt the same way myself. We just need to hang our hats on that God made us and there’s nothing wrong with being a night owl!

  17. Loved this. God made me sensitive. So super sensitive that I feel everything….and carry it all with me. I have 4 kiddos so you can imagine how I feel overwhelmed most of the time. So your writing helped me to think and accept this about myself.

  18. I know I a day late writting this. Yes we have to stop apologizing for who God made us. We are different and unique in in his eyes and Loved. Made in different ways to do different things. Yes we feel guilty at times for different things and for different reasons. I don’t have kids. As I said before incourage I do love them. Just not brave enough to give birth ever. But I get in my head from time to time. As I sisters who ask Did you see Dad today? Our Mum is passed away 3 years ago. Then one as said we all have to pull our weight for him. Especially one time after he was not well. They have kids I don’t. I the only saved in my family. Not even my Dad is saved. So I know they say Dawn will do it for Dad. Yes they do there part to help him as well. As he is 80 years old. I feel they would expect me to more because I don’t have kids. I don’t mind doing it. Even if I was not saved. I do it as I love my Dad. I do what I do for my Dad on to Jesus too. I pray for his Salvation. You can’t tell my Dad he needs to get saved. As he is a very stubborn man at times. He say keep all your religion to yourself. Then I get my sister’s saying if they ask did you see Dad today. I say yes. Well how was he what did you do for him. If in that mood. I never ask them. As they look at me. I find myself answering there questions. Then If something happens in my Dads. It would happen when I am doing something to help him. I find then myself apologizing. I was there when it happened. So it much be my fault. If it broke. It was something that was going to brake in time. I get all worked up about it. I go to tell my Dad or my Sister’s. They say be more careful next time. My Dad could say how did it happen or what were you doing. Or don’t worry about it. I then get I scared to tell them. I pray to God for wisdom. God has said Dawn you nothing to worry about. It was not your fault. Theses things happen. Stop apologizing. You are you. You were only being helpful. Just tell the truth. I do. Most times it ok. But that is me. We have to remember we are all different. The people God made us to be. You Anna are not a Morning person. But you are you. I am me. God made us the beautiful people we are. We have to stop feeling guilty for who we are. Stop apologizing for things we don’t have too. Just be the people God wants us to. That he loves. Me when it comes to telling about things that were not my fault. It just happened as it would have broke in time. Just tell the truth and not apologize for it. By saying sorry for it because it happened when you were there. You Anna stop apologizing for not being a morning person. We are all who God made us. Love this reading. Love you all incourage. Dawn Ferguson-Little xx

  19. Thank you so much for this message! I find myself apologizing multiple times a day for things that I now see could be part of how I’m made. The idea that God likes me as I am, that He created me with these traits that I feel the need to apologize for, is a huge encouragement. Thank you!

  20. Thank you for sharing your heart today! I often am the more extreme of staying up late and sleeping the day away by nature. Friends and family will lovingly fuss because at the time I get up most people are heading home from their jobs. I work (retired) making tiny miniatures for dolls and dollhouses. 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon I am getting my energy of the day or have just gotten up and moving. It gets quiet as hours tick away and I realize that it is almost daybreak as I finish the tiny plate of donuts or cheeseburgers and fries for my miniature shop. I look at my finished work and feel good inside that I got so much done. I head to bed and then sleep finally comes. I am finding myself needing help as I get older and I can’t do some things for myself. I will be slow to involve help. This past year has been one of many health issues and I need help from family that is very difficult for me to ask for. God is teaching me and I am learning that we lift each other up, we help others and we praise Him for creating us and loving one another and get used to different. Don’t apologize for being you! But remember to love one another as He loves.

  21. Oh my goodness this describes me to a T and I needed to hear it because I’m always apologizing for who I am. I’m apologizing to friends about my anxiety during a global pandemic and I’m apologizing that I stay up late and sleep in late, I’m apologizing because I’m a very sensitive person who can cry at the drop of a hat and this helps me realize that God knows about my traits and he made me this way and I shouldn’t have to apologize for it. I’m definitely not a morning person lol but my husband is. Thank you for sharing this. I definitely needed to hear it.

  22. Friend, you’ve reminded me how alike we are. 🙂 I recently stepped down from my one day a week teaching job and the thing I’m most excited about is not having to get up and be somewhere early. I had to start preparing for it a couple of days in advance. And all the other ladies were morning people. I spent a lot of time apologizing until one of them told me I didn’t have to, and sympathized with the extra effort it cost me to be “on” in the morning. Love you, friend!