Joshua’s Cape Rants, raves and insights from the kid who loved his cape.

I can’t heaaaaarrrrr you!

Ohhhhhhh who lives in a pineapple under the sea?!

Anyway. I work in tech support. You know what I've noticed?

People rarely listen. Listening is not something that we as a people are skilled at anymore. Sure, people hear me, but they don't listen. I often give very specific instructions, and people say 'Oh okay' and assume they know 'where I'm going with this' and do their own thing.

This has two results:

1. I need to figure out what they've done, and how to undo it, if it was wrong, which takes time.

2. I need to spend extra time repeating myself and getting them back on track.

It is (especially on days that my patience level is low to begin with) annoying. Now throw in the anger factor people often have when they call Tech Support and I'm ready to throw down with these people. Of course, I never do. I maintain a professional, courteous attitude. But on some calls I'm thinking to myself 'I could have had this fixed 20 minutes ago if you would just listen to me!!!' while I smile a toothy smile that you can HEAR over the phone, because as every training manual I've ever been forced to read notes 'callers can hear you smiling.'

So I got to thinking, as I often do, how impatient am I, compared to the God of All Creation, who I hardly ever listen to? How many times a day/week/month/year do I say 'oh okay God, I know where you're going with this' and proceed to throw myself off a proverbial cliff to 'further his plan.' And the two things result.

1. He needs to figure out what I've done, and how to undo it, if it was wrong, which takes time.

2. He needs to spend extra time repeating himself and getting me back on track.

These two steps are often repeated for every one tiny step He gives me. Resulting in a two steps forward one step back growth model.

Now with age and wisdom, maybe we improve that to 3 steps forward, 1.5 steps back, but ultimately, we are human, and will impede the progress of a perfect God who has granted us free will.

God doesn't smile through his teeth, He smiles with his teeth.

What do I mean by this? When I'm 'smiling to be heard' I'm smiling so my callers can hear it. Not necessarily because I'm happy about having them reopen Internet Explorer for the 38th time this call. When God smiles at us for being dumb, He is genuinely smiling. Of course, we disappoint Him and hurt Him, but when we turn back and say 'Okay...what were you doing here?' He smiles.

I guess my point today is twofold. One - I need to exercise a little more patience to honor the grace and patience poured out to me every second of every day. Two - rest assured that even when the jerks on the other end of the phone get frustrated with you for making a mistake, He isn't upset. He never 'smiles to be heard.'