We live in an area that requires us to have a land-line. We do have cell phones, but the service is always questionable in our home even with up-to-date boosters. Sometimes to use our cellphones, we have to go outside, and that is just not convenient when it’s raining or snowing.
Our old reliable landline cordless phone & extension finally bit the dust; so, I purchased a new AT&T cordless. After a tedious hour of manually transcribing 21 new personal phone numbers in the directory, I plugged in the new phones only to discover the faceplate is very dark and it’s hard to read the numbers and caller ID. The faceplate on a cellphone can be made brighter, but not these new cordless phones. But, I decided to just go ahead plug in the phones and work with them a couple of days. Using the new phone, I called my cellphone to test the reception; the static was so pitiful it was hard to tell what was being said. I tried a couple new filters, but that didn’t help. I changed the annoying ring tone to something less irritating, but now the base plays one tone and the phone plays another. My message I recorded sounds slurred no matter how many times I record it. I’m so frustrated that I shall just become Scarlett in “Gone with the Wind” and leave everything as it is until tomorrow. Then I must decide if I need to have my phone company’s help and schedule a maintenance person, or if I need to return the phone and again invest a couple of strenuous hours setting up a different new phone. Neither are options I cherish.
Sometimes it seems like my communication with our Lord is frustrating and fuzzy just like this new phone. After reading my daily morning devotions, I feel uplifted and encouraged. But, then the day has to begin and often times, my day’s trials test the comfort of my morning studies. I don’t like for my patience to be tested, but I guess no one likes that. A test often reveals our strengths and weaknesses; in the Bible, we often read about testings. “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” (Psalm 126:1B) “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23)
I suppose I need to leave my desk for awhile to regain my patience. I know I will succeed in this trial when I gain control of my temper and frustration. Maybe in the near future, I will look back on this new phone issue and laugh at the anger and headache I suffered. “Consider it pure joy, my… sister, whenever you face trials…because the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.” (James 1:2-4)
