Certainly I could eat my breakfast and still have time left to call the physician’s office while on a 30-minute break. My question was simple, and would only take a minute.
“Press 1 if you want to make an appointment.” No, that’s not what I need to do.
“Press 2 if you need to cancel an appointment.” Nope. I don’t need to do that either.
“Press 3 if you need laboratory results, 4 if you know your party’s extension, 5 if you want to request a prescription refill, 6 if you want to leave a message for the nurse, 7 if you have questions regarding your bill, 8 if you need to make billing arrangements, 9 if you want to speak to someone at the front desk (eventually), zero if you need to speak with an operator, and the pound sign if you want these options repeated.”
Goodness. What if I want to speak to a human being? Why is there not a human being option?
My son would be home only long enough for a medical procedure on Saturday. I was simply trying to find out if there were any prescriptions he would need that I could pick up the day before. His time was limited and he would need to leave immediately on the train back to Chicago.
I chose “zero” to speak with an operator. That resulted in another automated message telling me that “calls are answered in the order they are received. Please hold for the next available operator.”
Long story short, I finished my cup of coffee and breakfast, hung the phone up after several minutes on hold with that recording repeating itself at least 16 times, and returned to work. For the next eight hours I had the on-hold song stuck in my head. I didn’t successfully reach anyone until the following day when I was home, and that was only after following the instructions of several automated voices over the course of about 30 minutes, and a brand new song stuck in my head!
What ever happened to human beings answering the phone? Why must we jump through so many hoops these days?
As I sat down tonight for the first time in my “war room,” immediately I became distracted by an envelope of my son’s wedding photos from a year ago. I’ve been looking for the perfect frame to put them in. Thumbing through them, I saw all of my family members and friends, all of those who were there when Rory and Holly said their vows. And being the big sap that I am, I began to cry. A few minutes into enjoying the memories, I realized I was not distracted at all. I was simply being reminded of just a few of the blessings I have to be thankful for.
Soon I found myself presenting my requests in prayer – my children and family members, people I continue to pray for, personal and specific needs, and the list goes on.
As I sat there, for some reason my mind returned to the frustrating call to the doctor’s office. I thought – how incredible that here I was, sitting on the floor of my closet (my new “war room”), without any electronic device at all. Every single one of my thanks, requests, needs, concerns, fears, hang-ups, etc., can all be addressed and managed successfully by One – Thee One. I don’t need to categorize my prayers and choose a number of who it is that can best manage that particular situation or need. It doesn’t matter how automated or technologically advanced this world gets, or how enormous the population grows. God will always be sufficient and able to meet every one of my needs. He will never be too busy, unavailable, too tired, stretched too thin, over-worked, tired, or unwilling to listen to me. I can go directly to Him – STRAIGHT TO THE TOP! There is no need to filter my needs through His friends, family, and colleagues. He is always available. Always! And He will never “refer” me to anyone else. He is the perfect and only One able to meet all of my needs – every last one of them.
Oh, I think I’m really gonna like my new war room 😉
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known until GOD.”
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