by: Topher Wiles
Growing up my dad had a hard and fast rule for our home
outfitted with 1 cordless phone, 1 corded phone, and one answering
machine. His rule was this, do not call
our home from 8pm to 8am unless it is an emergency. That 8-8 rule was often frustrating for my
older sister’s boyfriends who wanted to call at all hours, because only dad was
allowed to answer the phone during that time.
Sometimes I even enjoyed listening in while those boyfriends got a
verbal lashing from dad for not obeying the 8-8 rule.
Now that I have kids, I have a similar rule, the automated “Do
Not Disturb” mode on my Samsung phone. As a minister, I get calls, text messages,
emails, snaps, & Facebook messages frequently through the day and night. My phone literally stays on vibrate all day every
day in my pocket because using an actual ringtone would mean it would be
dinging every few minutes, interrupting important meetings and prayer time with
people. I’m content with the “on call” profession
I’ve chosen and how my communications are used to serve others, but I’m
especially fond of the peace and rest that my “Do Not Disturb” mode provides my
family.
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| my Do not disturb settings |
In case you’re worried that the world may pass you by during
those times, never fear, DND mode has an exception setting that has you
covered. It will allow phone calls and
text messages through only for my favorite contacts during my DND times. My
favorite contacts include my wife, dad, siblings, in-laws, church elders,
church deacons, local police, sheriff, fire station, & EMA. That’s right, if any of those people try to
contact me through text or phone call, it will be allowed through even when my
phone is set to Do Not Disturb mode, so I don’t miss any emergency calls. Yes, Sparta Police Chief Doug Goff, if you are
reading this and call me at 2am, you are one of the privileged to get through. (FYI, I'm hesitant to share, but my DND settings even allows the option for repeat phone calls. So if someone calls twice within 15 minutes, it will allow it through.)
Why do I go through the effort to enable all these settings
on my phone? It’s the same reason my dad
instituted the no calling rule from 8am-8pm in my home growing up. Rest is important, not just for me, but also for
my family. That has been a tough lesson
to learn but one that the Bible has supported. “It is in vain that you
rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he
gives to his beloved sleep.” – Psalm 127:2
Well meaning people forget that when they send me text
messages and emails at 3:43 am “because they were up” that every message will
also wake up my wife because she is a lighter sleeper. As much as I appreciate their encouragement
and Bible verse they want to share with me, my wife doesn’t appreciate it in
the same way when it comes at 2am. Likewise, my quietly
sleeping household including four lovely children doesn’t need to be woken when
someone in the community Facebook calls me asking for help with rent money at
midnight (yes, that does happen).
Do Not Disturb mode is a way for me and my family to find
rest at night, dinner time, and my day off from all non-emergency communications. It also means that I handle people and tough
situations when I’m at my prime, rather than be irritated with someone trying
to help their non-emergency urgent-to-them phone call at 4am. The DND mode ensures
that I can wake up at 5:30am to get my glass of water, enjoy my Bible study and
prayer time, exercise, and get cleaned up all before I start handling the requests
of the day. I’m in a much better mood every
day when I consistently structure my rest routine with the DND mode. Trust me when I say that you, my family, and
the community would prefer not to deal with a grumpy Topher.
Even Solomon in the Bible wrote some basic wisdom about
people’s need for mood helping rest when he shares this short and wonderful
proverb, “A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken
as a curse!” – Proverbs 27:17. Can
you believe, in all the wise writings of the inspired word of God, that there
is a verse warning you of the danger of communicating too early in the morning?
Solomon writes that wisdom because some people aren’t raised by a dad
with an 8-8 No Call rule. So there you have it friends, straight from scripture,
avoid texting/calling people early in the morning unless it is an emergency. Even well wishes will sound like a curse at 4am.
To the rest of you who are recipients of untimely unurgent communications, for the sake of your spouse, your kids, your day off, and your
sanity, institute a “Do Not Disturb” time. This loving organizational act will provide for better
health and Family Forte.
