My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalms 5:3
Can I say this? Or would it be more accurate to state “In the morning I reach for my phone. I check the news and my messages, and my heart drops.”
Like many people, I used my phone as my alarm clock. But after reading an article about the value in not having your phone by your bed, I bought an alarm clock.
And hated it. It was loud and obnoxious and the tiny button was hard to use—so I kept using my phone.
Each night, the last thing I did was check the news, which is a depressing way to end the day. Each morning I turned off my alarm and began the day with the phone in my hand, checking Whatsapp before my eyes were barely open. I knew this wasn’t the example I wanted for my children. I knew it wasn’t healthy for me.
This summer I mentioned this problem to a friend, and she said, “If you get your phone out of your room, I will too.”
Oh, no. I’d much rather talk about my need for change than actually do it. Now I was committed. After procrastinating for a few more days, I moved my phone charging cord out of my bedroom.
I was shocked at the immediate change. I began reading books before going to bed. I went to sleep earlier. In the morning, sometimes an hour or more would go by before I’d pick up my phone. I started reading my Bible before checking my phone, a habit I used to have but had lost.
Sometimes the most ridiculously simple steps have immense value. I still hate my alarm clock, and should buy one I like, but I don’t think my phone is ever coming back to my room.
Today’s Challenge: You know what I’m going to say, if you keep your phone in your bedroom, change where you charge it. I know, it is hard. It took me over a year of knowing that I needed to make this change to do it. So please, just try it for a week or two. I think you’ll find that the benefits to your spiritual and emotional (maybe even physical) health will be worth it.
I've been charging my phone in the kitchen because when I'm in there I will listen to Mennonite music while I'm cooking or cleaning. We have a clock radio which I never use because lately our cat has become our "alarm clock". Every morning at between 6:15 and 6:20 without fail she meows at our bedroom door demanding to be fed.😻
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gina, for being direct and challenging with these posts. I had read or skimmed some of the books you have been mentioning, and so I've been growing some convictions while at the same time giving in to the temptation to read more, research more, and use WhatsApp or apps for used stuff (that I probably don't need) more.
ReplyDeleteYou've been making me think again about what is important to me for my eternal destiny, my marriage, my children (parenting or lack of it), and my physical well-being (getting enough sleep).
There are things I really like about using my phone as a tool. I use it for task lists and reminders. I used it yesterday to avoid buying a bench scraper I wanted but easily cut out of a square plastic jug. I used it today to receive a call from a friend that I recently rekindled relationship with. The camera is great to have handy with my preschool children constantly learning and changing.
But with the tool comes responsibility. May God help us. Blessings to you and others reading and thinking.
Tony's phone can't be in our room at night, or he wouldn't get any rest, with business messages and calls coming early and late, but we feel the need to be able to hear a phone in case of emergencies. So, mine goes to our room, but I put it on his dresser way across the room, and pay it no attention unless it actually rings. I love reading what you are writing, and praise God that we have all this encouragement from each other in these hard times.
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