It has not been a great week so far. In fact, it’s really not been a great month, and I was just telling a friend that the verse in scripture that talks about how God will not give us more than we can bear must assume that, because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can bear death. So all of that false comfort given when we use that verse to assure others and ourselves that “God won’t give you more than you can handle” (and how we understand that in our suffering-averse day) is a bit misleading.
I have been working furiously on some Servant Partners‘ tasks these past weeks, still playing catch-up from the weeks before and after my surgery, and have repeatedly come up against interruptions in the phone and internet service at our house. As anyone who works from a home office knows (and especially anyone who works from home with very limited hours of childcare available), this amounts to the greatest possible frustration.
So yesterday the AT&T serviceman was here (this is our fourth or fifth visit I think this year–we’ve had our jacks replaced, we’ve had the box in the back worked on, we’ve received a new router from Earthlink, and on and on…), and he informed us that the problem was located in the main phone lines on 30th street, and that the truck would be out tomorrow to repair them. So of course, after Lauren arrived this morning to put Aaron down and to take Mercy out to play, I sat down at the computer to work only to discover that I had no connection with the outside world. A cell phone call to AT&T confirmed that yes, the guys are out there working on the lines and she was not sure how long the repairs would be.
Not too long after that, the phone line came back on, and I happily resumed working. Just now, the phone rang and it was the repairman on the line: “I’m out here working on the lines, and we found the problem. There’s a bullet that has struck the line. We’re working on it right now, and we’ll let you know.”
I hung up the phone and just started laughing. Of course there is a bullet in our phone line.
UPDATE: Daniel, the sweetest phone tech imaginable, just came by to report that they had fixed the lines and all should be running well from here on out. Oh, and he gave me the bullet :).
Oh Erika … so sorry. I have no idea what else to say this time.
Thanks, Jennifer. Honestly, the whole bullet thing just keeps making me laugh which is a nice change of pace.
You wonder how long seasons like this last. Sooner or later you have to run out of thing to go wrong. Then something else happens and all you can think is “you gotta be kidding”. I have three sons, whether or not they will ever be grown is still an open quiestion, but they have given us seasons. Our older homes and material goods have given us seasons. Our cars have given us seasons. I will have to say bullets have not been a part of our equation. But having reach 50 plus year, you do discover this too shall pass. (But usually something else is on its heels.) I come to love Psalm 6.
This made me laugh though perhaps it shouldn’t. I will no longer complain about my frequent internet problems. You guys take the cake. My missionary life is quite tame in comparison. May your week/month finish better.
You must post a picture of the bullet! This is unbelieveable!!!
OF COURSE YOU HAVE A BULLET IN YOUR PHONE LINE!!!!!!!!
-Fer
Fer,
Thank you for making me laugh even harder!!! I really need Steven’s talent for the photo, to do the darn thing justice. Doug and I have already named it…you will laugh when you hear what it is and why.
Because we live in L.A….