Jen’s Gem: You have a direct connection to God.

Over the last two weeks, my time has been consumed with packing, moving, and unpacking. It has also been spent on the phone with my internet service provider doing all I could to ensure that our connection to the outside world would not be lost and of critical importance, that I would not miss the return of “This Is Us.”

Suffice it to say that it was easier to move an entire house, two kids, and two fish into a condo than it was to disconnect and subsequently reconnect our internet and cable. During these many hours – totaling in the double digits – I’ve spoken to no less than twenty people and provided my name, address, and phone number at least 4 million times. So much for voice recognition and shared data.

The short of it is (because if I told you the long of it, you’d likely unsubscribe from my blog!), when I contacted them to inform them of my move dates, they prematurely disconnected me – twice. Three hours on the phone being transferred between tech support, customer service, and sales left me scratching my head and more frustrated than a toddler learning to button his shirt.

Each transfer to a different (and sometimes the same) department resulted in me speaking to people from all around the globe. With each new accent or dialect came fresh hope that the issue would be fixed. At long last I spoke with representative #47B. This number may not mean much to you, but to me – she was an angel. She single-handedly orchestrated a solution to the entire debacle and even stayed on the line with me to ensure her colleagues were doing exactly what she told them to do.

If I could give her a raise, a promotion, a week’s vacation in Aruba, I would. That’s how grateful I was to her. She went above and beyond the call of duty and she is the reason you are reading my blog this morning.

Throughout the entire process of my move, this was the only time in which I felt completely helpless. I could do nothing but rely upon the expertise of people I’d never met, hoping and praying that they were trained properly in the workings of this vast telecommunications system. I relied on their patience, their connections to other departments, their authority to circumvent standard operating procedures to solve my problem.

For many people, internet connectivity is a “nice-to-have.” For me, it is my livelihood. Without it, I can’t work – or at least I can’t work from home. I can’t do my banking. I can’t pay my daughter’s tuition bill. (Oh, wait – maybe that’s not so bad!) Without a connection to the internet, the many facets of my life come to a complete standstill.

This feeling of disconnectedness from the outside world was very unsettling to say the least. At times, I felt fear – what if they can’t reconnect me and I can’t do my work? Other times, it was frustrating – why can’t they just flip the switch? Lastly – and I know this sounds cray cray – it felt lonely. I was on my own to figure everything out.

As a single mom, figuring everything out has been my M.O. for the past couple of decades. With no partner to consult on a daily basis, I had to rely on my own knowledge and experience to navigate the parenting of my two kids. Oh sure, there were other people I consulted, but at the end of the day – when the rubber had to hit the road, it was just me.

These days, I don’t have to rely on myself to navigate the complexities of life. I don’t have to contact a third-party to get connected to someone who might have the answers. I can go directly to the Source – The Provider – God – because of my relationship with His Son, Jesus.

Like representative #47B, Jesus has the knowledge, the connections, and the power to hook me up to all of the blessings that are promised to those who believe. I don’t have to call a third-party,  I don’t have to wait on hold to be transferred, and I don’t have to repeat my name, address, and phone number a thousand times. He knows exactly who I am and He knows exactly what I need before I even ask.

Just like I sang the praises of representative #47B, I want to sing the praises of all that Jesus has done for me. Because He came to earth, died on a cross, and then rose from the dead, I (and you as well), have an uninterrupted, never disconnected, crystal clear connection to Our Father in heaven. That’s pretty amazing!

I’ll be forever grateful to agent #47B for re-establishing my connection to the world. However, I am even more grateful to Jesus for re-establishing my connection to heaven.

This week, I’d like to encourage you to think about your connection to God. Is it rooted in a religious rule book that leaves you confused, frustrated, and lost? Or is it based upon a personal relationship with His Son that provides freedom, power, and acceptance? There’s a big difference you know. Rules and regulations will keep you disconnected. But, a relationship with Jesus is agent #47B on steroids.

If you’re not happy with your connection to God, it may be time to switch providers. 1-800-Jesus is your direct line. Call it today.