Our Concierge

Bad news on the State Science Olympiad front...we got word yesterday, three days before the competition, that the venue where we expected the helicopter event to be held, (the tall ceilinged gyms of the college where it was held last year), was changed. The officials were concerned about all the banners and rafters that could entrap copters in the gym. The helicopter event will instead be held in a room with about a 12 foot ceiling. Our helicopter design and rubber motor size were all based on the 50 foot ceiling (or so?) of the gym. It is too late to do anything about it with three days to go. We are just praying our copter is strong enough to withstand the high torque of the motor and heavy battering we think the lower ceiling will inflict upon it. I called to politely register my concern, and was told my concerns would be taken under consideration. Maybe other schools, with less money constraints, were able to buy oodles of different rubber for the motor, thus can adjust the impact with which the copter smacks against the ceiling. We put our limited resources in one motor size once we determined what we felt was best for the tall ceilings we expected. But then again, I am not an aeronautics expert. Maybe it will matter less than I fear. And really, most things matter less than I fear. I am pretty high on the fear factor.

Meanwhile, on the home front, Arvo, dear hubby, always seeking the best TV experience possible, told me Time Warner was coming to do an upgrade that would not cost any more than what we currently pay. They were installing a new cable that would give us faster internet, better reception, and get this, a personal concierge we could call should we ever have problems. I thought about calling my concierge for advice on the helicopter issue.

But instead, worn out by the busy day, I settled down in front of our upgraded TV cable, and decided to test it out. Arvo and Asherel were off to dog class, and I was very excited about a few quiet moments to test out our new improved TV capabilities. I turned it on. It wouldn't turn on. I used the new improved remote the cable man had left. Nothing. Tried the old remote. It turned on to a black and white old movie. I tried to switch channels but neither remote would change channels. I sat there flummoxed as my quiet time slipped away, and dark veins began popping out all over my forehead. After frantically pushing every button twenty times, suddenly the channel changed. I'd only missed half a show. When the show ended, I pushed the off button. Nothing happened. With both remotes in hand I went back and forth pushing "off" a good hundred times. Finally, the TV shut down.

Disappointment, frustration, unexpected monkeys in the wrench. It seems that life is more often following that pattern than not. We can't seem to turn on what we think we want, or turn off what we think we don't desire any longer. We seem stuck powerless in a world that we have no impact upon. We are paralyzed observers, watching life pass before us unimpeded by our hopes, needs, or desires. I know many people feel that way about God. They pray but He never answers. They live good lives but all they reap is sorrow. They eat vegetables 5 times a day and they still get cancer. They push the off button a hundred times, but still the horrible program stays on. They beg Him to change the channel of their lives, but He leaves them stuck in a colorless movie they desperately want to shut down.

The prophet Jeremiah tried to do good. He told his people about the one true God. He chastised them for their sin, and begged them to acknowledge their wrong-doing, repent, and open their hearts to the Lord, who longed to redeem them. For his reward, he was thrown in a deep muddy pit, and left to die. Somehow, Jeremiah understood that even in the pit, God was listening. I am sure Jeremiah didn't like it, but he accepted that God had a purpose based on the whole picture that Jeremiah was unable to understand. Ultimately, he was pulled out of the pit. But it was while he was being consumed by his enemies that he proclaimed, "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed!" He knew that in the end, The One True Concierge would fix everything.

When Arvo returned, I told him, "Oh, I have a request of our concierge. Could you tell them to please come out and make one remote with one button turn the TV on, and off when it is supposed to do so?" The concierge had promised to come should we have any problems, and I just can't wait to meet him.

Lamentations 3: 55-58
I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief." You came near when I called you,
and you said, "Do not fear."
You, Lord, took up my case;
you redeemed my life.

Lamentations 3: 21-25
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

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