Don't Hit the Snooze!

I rarely use an alarm clock except on those occasions in the middle of the night when we are trying to make a 6:00am flight out of the St. Louis airport two hours away. One of us sets the alarm feature on our smartphones to make sure we get to our destination on time. I do know there is a snooze button on some alarm clocks that can ease the pain, if only temporarily, that accompanies a two or three o’clock a.m. wake-up time. I’ve always been afraid to try that feature out!

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Recently, we were dispatched to our daughter’s house to join other family members in saying goodbye to her twin sister (our other daughter!) and her family as they headed home to New Mexico. When we arrived, everyone was up and moving around awaiting the final departure. They were bathed, dressed and waiting for the pics to document the occasion. Yes, some were a little blurry eyed, but not our youngest grandson, Dawson!

This boy is always good with his words. Because of his propensity for storytelling, some are already speculating that he may have a future in a talking profession like his Poppi! As he explained to me why he was up so early, this adorable child reasoned, “I got up at 5:30am, but two minutes later, it was nine o’clock!” I laughed because he sounded a lot like my peer-group droning on rather than what we expect from an eight-year-old!

We regularly lament that “time flies” during these days of advancing age. It seems like we just get the medicine pills all sorted and contained and then “two minutes later,” it’s time to do it all over again! The Monday mowing, the Wednesday trash out, the Saturday washing, and the Sunday church services seem to be only a day or two apart! Wow! How does a week of seven days go by so fast? And what happened to those good old summer days of our childhood when there were long evenings for playing with friends?

Around our house, we write notes and make lists because that “two minutes later” feeling comes around too often and we’re afraid that we might miss something important. I have a Blue Sky Planner on my desk that keeps me on schedule. Monique uses her customized wall calendar with monthly pictures of our southwest family to keep us on track with birthdays and doctor’s appointments. When I retired, I didn’t know how busy we would be with our after-retirement activities. We help each other with this reminder, “Be sure to put that on your calendar!”

We have learned that an active senior lifestyle has no time for hitting a snooze button! Even our grands know our early to bed sleep schedule. Ben, our college junior, recently wrote a text message accompanying some kudos regarding a blog article. It was 9:19 pm and he was finishing his shift at Walmart. He remarked, “I know you’ve turned in for the night already, but I figured I’d shoot you a text anyway. I loved this blog, Poppi. It really spoke to me!” This after-hours’ communication brought a big smile to my face the next morning!

I often brag on our kids using this phrase, “Have a kplr productive day!” I also like to lay another affirmation on them by saying, “You’re a workin’ fool!” As you can tell, I still believe that no matter our age, we need to be adding value by being productive in every way we can. The Apostle Paul spoke plainly when he counseled some of the Thessalonian believers who were idle in their Christian lives. He instructed them in plain speech, “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, NLT).

My father-in-law pastored a small university church, supplemented his income with painting projects during the week, and spent Saturdays selling footwear at a local shoe store. My mother-in-law was equally productive with day shifts at the telephone company and evenings working as a graphic artist for the local business form company. As they partnered to provide for their family, they never hit the snooze button on the alarm clock!

There are still twenty-four hours in a day and seven days in a week. How are you managing those days and providing for your family? Do you feel productive with the time God allows? God bless you providers as you work hard to meet your obligations. Your work ethic and witness earn the respect of others. May God continue to bless you as you serve Him through your work!

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
active churchman and
doting grandparent.
Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com
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