I'm speaking of Alexander Graham Bell....Mr. Telephone, himself! I wonder if he had any idea of just how far his little invention would go? I wonder if he realized just how small the world would become because of his imagination? I also wonder if he would be appalled by modern society's phone etiquette or lack of same? Is it because we've just become ruder as a society or is it because personal communication devices are being given to eight year olds (who can operate them without looking at the first page of the owner's manual)and we've all just adopted the eight year old mentality? My apologies to eight year olds everywhere....some of you behave far better than some grown folks that I know and it shames us all. At some point, I suppose, I will stop being shocked by human behavior. Of course, at that point, I plan to be looking into the face of My Maker! Until then, I guess I'll just go on having slack jawed moments....especially when it comes to Mr. Bell's little pet.
I have my regular gig at the church office...I help Youth Pastor on Mondays and Fridays. Sometimes, they ask me to fill in for one of the secretaries if they have to be out for a couple of days. Our "girls" work so very hard and I like them very much. If answering the seemingly never silent phone is helpful, I am glad to do it. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished. Well, that's how it feels when I happen to pick up a call from someone whose spiritual fruit sounds like it's gone sour! Got one of those Monday and I wish I could say those calls are few and far between but they aren't. My sweet friends get regular doses of spiritual sour grapes. I think folks forget that they are flesh and blood humans and while they are very gifted and talented, they have their limits...walking on water, walking through walls, stopping speeding bullets and leaping tall buildings in a single bound....just to name a few! I have to say, that one call rattled me and made me so ashamed to think that I might have shown the same beastly behavior to someone else....whether or not the person on the other end had an attitude or not, my behavior, my choice and it's never the right choice to be rude. I asked for forgiveness....out loud, immediately. Thankfully, this call came in at the end of my day...and provided good fodder for our beloved Chronicles.
For your consideration and edification:
Just for fun...
I have my regular gig at the church office...I help Youth Pastor on Mondays and Fridays. Sometimes, they ask me to fill in for one of the secretaries if they have to be out for a couple of days. Our "girls" work so very hard and I like them very much. If answering the seemingly never silent phone is helpful, I am glad to do it. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished. Well, that's how it feels when I happen to pick up a call from someone whose spiritual fruit sounds like it's gone sour! Got one of those Monday and I wish I could say those calls are few and far between but they aren't. My sweet friends get regular doses of spiritual sour grapes. I think folks forget that they are flesh and blood humans and while they are very gifted and talented, they have their limits...walking on water, walking through walls, stopping speeding bullets and leaping tall buildings in a single bound....just to name a few! I have to say, that one call rattled me and made me so ashamed to think that I might have shown the same beastly behavior to someone else....whether or not the person on the other end had an attitude or not, my behavior, my choice and it's never the right choice to be rude. I asked for forgiveness....out loud, immediately. Thankfully, this call came in at the end of my day...and provided good fodder for our beloved Chronicles.
For your consideration and edification:
- When calling the church office, please identify yourself. Some voices are familiar to me...some are not. The church's phones briefly display your number and then it's gone...no name, just the number. It's not like my Caller ID at the house.
- If I answer the phone at the church, please keep in mind that I. AM. JUST. A. VOLUNTEER. I will do whatever I can for you. I will try to help you but I am sometimes even more limited than the regular office staff.
- Please remember that you are calling the church office. Put on your church manners and if you can't, walk away from the phone.
- Please do not treat the office staff or any of the ministers as "the hired help."
- If you need someones phone number, check your directory. That's why you have it...and the two legs to walk you to it and the hands/fingers to open it and turn the pages. If that doesn't help, then call the office.
- Special Sunday school projects, children's missions projects....the upstairs staff might not know anything about these. Please don't be offended when you are told that they don't. We will try to put you in contact with someone who does.
- What you do, what you used to do, where you live...doesn't matter to me. If you call the office and are rude, you are just that....rude.
- Being sweet and cooperative will get you SO much further.
- Being rude and annoying might cause your wait time to be a little longer.
Just for fun...
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