GRUMBLING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD (IF THAT IS POSSIBLE)! Over the past several months I have used several service industries for various products (logo for the church, books purchased on the internet, etc, etc). One of the iron things is that these service companies want your complete service to them. They offer to serve you provided that you pay them for their services. I get that. Then they want all kinds of information from you (which they will absolutely use to sell more of their stuff and services to you, and possibly sell to other companies for a profit). So, who is serving who? When I was in sales I remember being told repeatedly that “customers” were our bloodline. Without customers we have no purpose. That really made sense to me. However, in my dealings with these companies, it seems they are more interested in getting me to understand their excuses for not performing what they “guarantee” to perform. They want me to be understanding. If I object, they get angry with me, and then persist in trying to make me look stupid. They show me surveys that I said kind things about them, but they are taken totally out of context. Today, I was dealing with a “Christian” media and book company. I paid for a book that they provide. I paid for them to ship it to me. So, they served me for fees. I’m good with that. But, the package has not arrived yet, It has been a month! So, I figured that they have sent the low man on the totem pole to hand deliver it to me on his bike all the way from Heavenlybooksville. But, I looked up on the internet, and it is a 2 week’s ride on bike from heavenlybooksville to the Pensacola area. So, I emailed the company to find out why my book had not arrived. Well, they replied, it was sent to the wrong town. A town that is 26 miles away. Then they gave me the address that they had in their system, which oddly enough was my actual address! WOW! How insane is that! When I provided the service of giving them, for free, my address (I should start charging companies for that information, or tell them, they have to find me on their own, and for each day they are late I charge a late fee!) I gave them the right address. Why wouldn’t I? I want to provide great service to them because it actually helps me out. Is this really that hard to understand. I want them to give me what I pay for, so I provide them with the best possible service by giving them my phone number, not just one, but three numbers, my address home and work. I gave them my email address. I have gone all out in my service to them. WHY? You ask, because it helps me out. It’s almost like we are in a relationship! ALMOST! So, when the company failed to provide the service that I paid for and service them in return with all the necessary information so that they could provide their service to the best of their ability, they didn’t come through. So when I contacted them to find out where the relationship broke down, they suggest-“Hey, we sent the package to the town 26 miles to the east of you, because you gave us to precise an address for you. And we didn’t call you at one of the 3 phone numbers provided by you, or email you, or write a letter to you because it is not our fault that you didn’t get your package. It’s the shipping company that we pay for with the marked up shipping fee that we took from you, yeah-it’s their fault. And even though they shipped us back the package, we can’t be held responsible to figure out why a package that we sent out to hopefully end up at the proper destiny, came back to us the original shipping source.” This is the summary of what they said, I may have taken some journalist liberties, but this is what I heard, and you are not me, so you can’t dispute it. (Don’t you judge me). So, I gave them again, AT NO CHARGE, my shipping address. Which, I remind you, is exactly what they said that they sent it to. Then another person contacts me via email to say-its not our fault because we have a Postal Software that corrects zip codes and addresses. (THEY GOT JIPPED, since the software, that I have never met as far as I know, thought it knew my address better than me). So, they have all of my generous services and my money all to help them provide me a service for their profit, and they are convinced that it is my fault. So, to provide incredible service, since they clearly value GREAT SERVICE, the Customer service gal says- “I WILL RESHIP IT TO YOU AT NO CHARGE!”. Yes, the Hallelujah Choir has begun to sing. At no Charge! Oh, thank you for this great reward for my month long patience! Thank you for not charging me extra to correct your mistake. But, I have waited a month, isn’t that a charge to me. I have provided all the proper information- isn’t that a charge. Didn’t I pay for this a month ago? Isn’t that a charge? Is this what they teach in customer service training now? (HIGH PITCHED RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (that’s a whistle sound like a rocket) RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR- crash). That crash is me falling down from the place where I proudly stood! Ouch, haven’t I failed over and over and over again at serving those who I have dedicated my life to serve. I feel like one of those Pharisees who lustfully brought the naked adulterous to Jesus asking Him to stone her with them. There they stood (John 8) ready to condemn her for adultery while they all probably looked on her nakedness thinking to themselves= “I’d like to get some of that”. They were guilty of the very thing they readily condemn her for. As Jesus looked down, because He is too much of a gentleman to look at her naked body (I take this since they said she was caught in the act of Adultery, and when I have sex I don’t wear clothes and I certainly don’t want my wife to wear any-ever when we are alone). So the Pharisees were unwilling to cast their stones at her for their own guilt. So, what do I learn from this real life experience that royally pissed me off? Our life is ministry. It is worship. It is nurture for ourselves and other Christians, and Gospel preaching to the lost and dying of the world. That is a missional life. So, first, I forgive the “we suck but don’t care” company for their wretched service. Secondly, I learn that I must not blame my inadequacies on others. I must learn to live with and love those who God has called me to serve and care for. Like my wife and children, my church, my neighbors. I suck way worse than this company does. God thank you for teaching me about my wretched failure in the mission you have called me to through a real life experience with another wretched failure. Maybe next time, I will love and forgive rather than go off on a rant. Maybe, I will determine to go show love to someone when I feel wronged. Not sure if this will help anyone else, but just typing this out helped me calm down from my elevated exaltation of self to listen to Jesus-who I love and desire to be like. Sorry Jesus for sucking so bad, help me to serve the way I desire to be served. AMEN