Life in the Snooze Lane / Mrs Sylvia Wells

Mrs Sylvia Wells

Pastor's Wife

Parkside Baptist Church

Mesquite, TX

Life in the Snooze Lane

 

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

How many of us set an alarm to wake up on time?  How many of us set more than one alarm?  How many of us do NOT set an alarm?  

We really enjoy having the snooze button.  After all, that nine more minutes of rest will help us make it through the day better, right? We may feel that the snooze button makes our lives easier.  It pampers us.  We don’t have to worry if we are going to over sleep; after all, it will let us know when to get up.

BUT... The snooze button is actually teaching us that it is okay to put things off.  It tells us to roll over and get comfortable again, putting off our responsibilities in life. It is teaching us to put things off until later.

So many times, we try to put things off. When was the last time you heard that something good was accomplished because we hit the snooze button?

We wake up in the morning only to hit the snooze button.  We try to grab that nine more minutes of sleep before the alarm goes off again. Why did we set the alarm at that time?  Did we set it with the plan of snoozing it?  Did we set it with the plan of getting up when it went off?

When we hit the snooze button too many times we end up getting up late; therefore…  ...not able to make a proper breakfast. ...not able to pack a proper lunch. ...running out the door with limited time. ...stressed to the max because we snoozed that extra 9 minutes one too many times ...God and I time gets skipped.

What can we get accomplished during the snoozing time? Have you ever timed a chore that you have?  Many times, we think...I don’t have time to do that, when in actuality it only takes two minutes to do that chore.  How long does it really take to ______________?  You fill in the blank.  

During the time that we were lying there waiting for the alarm to sound again, what could we have accomplished? …met with God …made the bed …put dishes away from dishwasher …made breakfast …packed a lunch

In our lives, we have the same goals and expectations as people of ALL ages.  Life itself cannot be lived in the SNOOZE lane.  Oh, wait...I need to hit the snooze button on that.  I am not ready to get up!

I am not ready to be married, but you ARE married.  WAKE UP.  Snooze button won't work! I am not ready to have a baby, but you ARE expecting in 2 weeks.  Snooze button won't work!

 I am not ready to be responsible for a child...he is four years old.  Snooze button won't work! I am not ready to sing that solo...you are on the schedule for Sunday morning.  Snooze button won’t work! I am not ready to be responsible for a husband…you have been married ten years. Snooze button won’t work! I am not ready to be responsible for a house…you signed the mortgage. Snooze button won’t work! I am not ready to be responsible for a car…you are 30 years old. Snooze button won’t work! I am not ready for the test in school…you knew about it three weeks ago. Snooze button won’t work! I am not ready for...whatever it may be.  Snooze button won’t work

You want your kids to go to school so you have peace and quiet in the house.  Then you take him/her to kindergarten and you cry all the way home.  It is like WAIT…I want to hit snooze on this. You can't wait for the baby to walk...then you are like WAIT...He is getting into everything. You can't wait for them to talk...then you are like WAIT....I wish they would be quiet! You can't wait for them to graduate...then we are like STOP (not ready for them to grow up).  I WANT TO HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON! You can't wait for them to be married...WAIT!  Wake me up–this is all a dream, right? While you are searching for the snooze button.

We are in the habit of hitting that snooze button when the alarm goes off–we think we can hit the snooze button on our life, too.  We get ourselves in the habit of waiting to the last minute or not even doing it at all.

We tell our children to clean their room and they sit down and play with the toys instead of cleaning the room...until they hear their name...then they run around and try to clean the room while you are coming up the stairs. The child hits the snooze button instead of cleaning the room.

You are in school or college with a book report due, but you put it off until the night before it is due.  Then you complain because you have to work so hard (STAY UP ALL NIGHT) to get it completed...yet you knew it was due two weeks ago.  You hit that SNOOZE button.  

We want to do things while our husband is at work...and we hit that SNOOZE button.  Then we wonder where time went.

Time is a wasting.  We all have the same amount of time in a day.  We have 24 hours in a day; 1,440 minutes in a day; 86,400 seconds in a day.

“Redeeming the Time” by Benjamin E. Mays I have only just a minute, Just sixty seconds in it; Forced upon me - can’t refuse it, Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it; I must suffer if I lose it, Give account if I abuse it; Just a tiny little minute, But eternity is in it

It is the same for each of us. What do you do with your time? Have you hit the snooze just waiting for the alarm to go off again? 


 You say, "How can I get off snooze lane?" You need to realize that you are a procrastinator and you put things off. 1. Do you fill your day with small, menial tasks that really accomplish nothing? 2. Do you sit at the computer to check on the social family and friends’ pages? 3. Do you start an important task only to let the smallest thing distract you from it? 4. Do you leave things on your to do list for a long time, even though you know it is important? 5.  Do you say “Yes” to helping someone else, while you have work to do of greater importance? 6. Do you wait until you are in the mood?

This is just some of the things that will keep us in the SNOOZE lane.  I am sure I can come up with more.

We use the excuse, “But that's just how I am...People are going to have to accept me for who I am.  I am just always late!”  You need to change that!

Let’s ask what happens when I snooze?

1.  Do you realize the stress and pressure that you put on yourself when you procrastinate or "snooze"? …College, if you are late too often, it equals an absence …Things do not get done …Responsibilities are not fulfilled …No wisdom from God because you didn't have time to meet with God …Hair not fixed - or maybe that would be your priority …Clothes not ironed …Husband not cared for …Kids not cared for …Forget your homework …Stressed the entire day because we snoozed …Because you are stressed you yell at the kids, at mom or at the husband

2. Do you realize our snoozing affects others? …Husband relies on you to iron clothes, make breakfast and coffee, pack a lunch.  If you snooze then he goes hungry or he runs late because he has to care for himself. So, then he is not a happy camper.

…Children rely on you, mom.  To wake them up, to make their breakfast, to pack their lunch, to pick out their clothes...depending on the age.  So, you snooze...this makes them late so they have to grab an on-the-go breakfast or do without.  Who knows what outfit they will pick out. They can only grab 2 slices of bread for lunch.  

…We think it is JUST us that is under stress when we are snoozing.  

In our life, we can SNOOZE more than just hitting the snooze button.  As I mentioned earlier - procrastination is the result of snoozing.

We allow life to happen around us without doing our part.

HOW CAN WE GET OFF THE SNOOZE LANE?

1. Write down your goals and put a time to be finished on it. 2. Break down the final goal into small parts. 

 3. Get a vision of what you want accomplished. 4. Stop making excuses for not getting things accomplished 5. Have accountability.  (As a wife...your husband should be your accountability.  The house looks like a disaster, but you have been home ALL day.  You took the time to check your social media, but not to clean the kitchen.)   6. Reward yourself when you have finished an accomplishment.  (Don't go out with your friends until you are done) 7. START.  In order to accomplish, you must first start.