Phone Home

Mission trips create some interesting communication dilemmas. I wrote the following in August of 2007. Dad had just suffered a stroke and we were trying to stay in touch with my brother, Dave, who was in Africa with his lovely wife, Sally, on a mission trip. I do now have a cell phone!

I just got off the phone talking with Dave. That is probably incorrect. Somehow, we were cut off. It was a little unnerving when he spoke of it being nighttime when it's early afternoon in St. Louis but in Johannesburg, where the call originated, it's almost 10:00 PM. It was incredible- Dave sounded like he was in the next room! It has been an interesting day. I talked to Sheila in Nebraska and Sandy in Arizona. My aunt and uncle phoned from Arkansas. I swapped messages on the Internet with my co-workers at school in Houston. I even exchanged e-mails with a lady in Shanghai, China. Communication in the twenty-first century is so instantaneous. With all the advancements in just the past few years, I can't imagine anymore how people used to deal with critical issues that required input from many. Cell phones and computers let us connect in a moment instead of a month. Can it get any more convenient? Like all technology, it has to.

I still don't have a cell phone and have no plans to obtain one. Based on a show of hands the first day of school, more than ninety percent of my students carry one. I could have one but I have lots of excuses. Cost. I don't want to be burdened with losing it. I don't want to be bothered constantly. It's available: I just choose not to avail myself of the option. It's kind of like prayer. There is a great deal available, just like the phone companies dangle in front of us. There are no dropped calls and you never need upgrades. You never get hung up on and the line is never busy or out of service. It even has a friends and family option. Just dial Our Father. He's standing by.

Applicable quote of the day:
"Have you ever felt like a phone call that's been disconnected?"
Shannen Doherty

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me @ steve@hawleybooks.com