Check Your Connection
The other day our internet service provider was down with a nationwide outage. This created quite a bit of stress and trouble for many people. Most of the programs that I use at work are internet based and we were unable to login and do the work we usually do. Our phones were also affected and we were unable to make long distance phone calls.
The first day of the outage was quiet. We received a few phone calls, but nothing urgent and people were understanding as they were experiencing the same issues. The second day was much different. People were needing assistance immediately as flights were delayed, cancelled and final payments were needing to be applied to vacations before the holiday weekend.
My frustration grew with each request and my to do list was getting longer and longer. Many times throughout the day I would think of how quickly I could take care of each situation if I could just connect to the internet. In the waiting I found other projects that I could work on and used my cell phone to access emails and make calls. It was a good temporary fix, but more time consuming than what I had patience for.
I had learned earlier in the year that I could find peace in the chaos if I asked God for help. He would show me the best way to handle situations and although they would still be present, I would have a more Christlike response when I felt stressed. A verse that always helps is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Sometimes I have to take a moment and say this verse several times before I begin to calm down and apply it.
I should have started first thing in the morning with that verse and my day would have went better. Each time I checked for an update on the internet I would receive a message, “Connection Lost.” I guess I should have been checking my connection with God first, because my focus was on the work needing to be done rather than the One who would help me navigate through it and eventually complete all of it.
In my morning devotionals it said, “In Christ, we are never alone or without the power we need to do His will,” and “If we want to see Him in our circumstances and see His perspective, we must seek Him, His ways and His word.” As soon as I did that, my day changed. While the internet was still down I was able to take care of a large group final payment, help a weather stranded client and breath. Once the internet was finally up and running, He helped me to get caught up on all the requests and finish everything in time for the long weekend.
As I reviewed this outage in my mind, I remembered how the response from the troubleshooter was always, “check your connection.” If I would have done that, with God in mind, I would have realized that this outage provided several opportunities for me to share the Love of Christ. Each person that called in was experiencing the same frustration with the internet that I was and some were even more challenged with weather issues and payment deadlines.
My response would either give help and hope or it would add to their already frustrating day. Sadly, not all my responses were helpful or encouraging. My own frustration shown through at moments and it wasn’t pretty. Once the day finally came to an end I had time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t.
Why did I get so stressed out? It isn’t the first time there has been internet issues, delayed flights and last minute payments and it won’t be the last. The bigger problem was that I had lost my connection; my connection with God. Before I left for work I knew it was going to be a challenging day and I had said a quick prayer of please get me through this day. He answered that prayer, but what if I would have prayed, “Lord, I know there are going to be lots of issues today. Help me to handle each one as if I was doing it for You. Guide me in the best way to complete each task and let me be a voice of hope and peace to weary travelers.”
What a difference that would have made to the whole day. I would have been connected from the start regardless of what the internet did. It was a timely reminder for me as the winter season is full of delays, unplanned changes and weary travelers in need of assistance. God is always available and He phone line (prayer) is never down.
My prayer
Father, thank you for answering my prayer to get through the day when it was challenging, but help me to go deeper with You. When I am connected with You I am fully equipped to handle whatever comes my way. When challenges arise help me to remember that they too will pass and afterwards I want to be celebrating all that You did through them. I want to be grateful for the opportunities to help others and do it with a right attitude. Thank you for the reminder that You are ever present. In Jesus name, Amen.
Where does my help come from?
Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Psalm 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Acts 3: 16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”