I’m Sure Somebody Has That Covered

I have used a projection alarm clock for a long time. Mine recently fritzed out, and my dear EC got me new one for Christmas.  Hallelujah! I am accustomed to simply look at my ceiling to see what time it is at night, and when I wake up.

Which brings me to Tuesday morning. I am first to admit that our sleep schedules got totally discombobulated during the holidays: Late nights, sleeping in, no work or school, etc. But what happened probably has more to do with something else…

I woke up on Tuesday and looked at my ceiling. The clock showed 7:45am. Then I really woke up. It did say 7:45am. I picked up the clock to make sure I hadn’t inadvertently turned off the alarm, or that the time zone was messed up. Everything was fine. It seems that I must have turned off the alarm and gone back to sleep. 7:45?

Well, I was awake now. Granted, my EC was slumbering peacefully next to me. I got up and went to make sure the boys were on their way. Obviously we had missed scriptures and prayers, but they all had work and school, and would surely be up and about.

I was wrong. The house was silent. Even the dog was still in his bed. I walked past him and he just looked at me with an “It’s raining, and I’m not getting up” kind of look. I had a little hope that youngest had gotten up and quietly snuck off to school, allowing his tired parents a chance to sleep in.

Nope. He was in bed, fast asleep.

His two older brothers were in their rooms, asleep as well. Everyone was asleep. There were FIVE of us in the house oversleeping that morning – four of us legal adults. Just hours earlier, I reminded all of them to make sure they were up for scriptures at 7:30am. They all consented. Besides, 7:30am isn’t even early – compared to the old 6:15 scripture days.

Now my youngest was bound to be late for school. I hustled him out of bed, nagged him about being slow, and eventually drove him to school – where he snuck in just before the second bell.

I came back in the house and everyone was still asleep. What? I started waking them up. Eventually everyone got up and lumbered off to work.

Now, I know that collective oversleeping is not a rare thing. It happens to the best of us. But here is what made it really odd: Exactly one day earlier – Monday – my EC and I had been traveling and had not been home. We left it up to the boys to get up and do what they needed to do.  And they did. They all made it to school, and work, and whatever else they needed to do. Without me there.

With me there, nobody got up. Without me there, everyone got up. I’m not sure if anyone even set an alarm. What’s up with that?

It is the old Safety Net:  If dad is here, he’ll make sure we don’t oversleep. If dad is gone, we will get ourselves up. Like we did in college, or on our missions, or yesterday, etc. We get comfortable knowing when we *think* someone else is there to pick up the slack or rescue us.

Now I’m not targeting my boys on this. I overslept too. So did my wife. But the disparity between Monday and Tuesday was straining enough that I gave it some thought. And here is what I thought about:

I wonder what things in my life I expect someone else to just “take care of” instead of proactively doing something – or at least doing the part that affects me? I did not grow up on farm, but I grew up hearing the expression, “Those cows aren’t gonna milk themselves.” That is a good expression.

A friend of mine, who is always anxiously engaged in good causes, likes to trot out a specific acronym. You might have heard of it: STP.

He brings it out when we are doing a service project, filling a cannery assignment, setting up chairs, cleaning the church, attending temple night, etc.  He says it is always the “Same Twenty People.”  Hence, STP.

And he has a point. In most of the wards I have ever lived in, there is a core group of people – might be 20, might be 50, might be 10, that always seem to be there, working, serving, helping. Those same people do the lion’s share of the heavy lifting – specifically that stuff which is beyond the scope of someone’s calling, but still needs to get done.

(Yes, this idea follows the 80/20 Rule, which says that 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the people.)

There are so many things we can do in life, and in the church that are not necessarily assigned to us by calling. Here are a few examples:

• Temple Work.  It all has to get done, and I don’t want the Millennium to be stressful.

• Family History: You have an Aunt that did it all? She didn’t. And what she did is riddled with errors. It is not done. It is never done.

• Cannery/Temple/Deseret Industries/Farm service. Everyone of those areas would love to get their hands on a fresh volunteer.

• Someone in your ward might just need a friend.

And if this seems a little too Church-centric, you just have to walk outside.

• Humanitarian groups and NGOs always need help. Some are wildly ineffective, yet some are actually trying – and succeeding – in relieving suffering and saving the world.

• Public office: If YOU don’t run, who will? (Rhetorical question- please don’t respond.)

• A million other local school/charity/civic groups would also love to get their hands on a fresh volunteer.

• And maybe that neighbor who you never see anymore has some needs that you could help with.

Anyway, the list goes on and on. Are we expecting someone else to take care of it? The proverbial “Dad?” Are we slumbering peacefully, assuming that all this stuff just magically gets taken care of?

Everything does not need to be an official calling. After serving as a bishop, I have been in callings that have not been too demanding. Since then, the majority of my church service has been done by my own volition: Raising my hand to volunteer, wading into family history, finding things to do, etc.

The system of callings and stewardships is a beautiful thing, but I think the Lord anticipated our willingness to
“stay in bed,” when he revealed the following:

For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. (D&C 58:26)

There are times in our lives where callings absolutely fill up the service requirement, but for a lot of us, we need to get ourselves out of bed, and find something worthwhile to do – without dad shaking us. It’s a new year, and that is always a good time to reevaluate how I spend my time.

That’s all I got, and now I’m going back to bed. JUST KIDDING!

Actually, I need to go wake somebody up.

Oh, and there is this: (link to listen)

1. Have I done any good in the world today?
   Have I helped anyone in need?
   Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
   If not, I have failed indeed.
   Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
   Because I was willing to share?
   Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
   When they needed my help was I there?
2. (Chorus)
   Then wake up and do something more
   Than dream of your mansion above.
   Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
   A blessing of duty and love.
3. 2. There are chances for work all around just now,
   Opportunities right in our way.
   Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
   But go and do something today.
   ‘Tis noble of man to work and to give;
   Love’s labor has merit alone.
   Only he who does something helps others to live.
   To God each good work will be known.