Well, our refrigerator/freezer started not doing what it is supposed to do on Saturday when I went to scoop up some of the Rocky Road ice cream my dearest Carol bought me and discovered it was soupy rather than frozen as normal.
So, we scramble to send things home with our visiting grandkids and their parents, putting stuff in coolers, our wonderful neighbor offered space in her freezer, and well, started throwing things out. AARRGGHH!
First the independent service guy we contacted on Sunday shows up on time and tells me the diagnosis is “Compressor Failure” and informs me that he is not “certified” by LG (which costs $500/year) and packed everything up and tells me to contact them directly and tells me that the compressor is covered for 7 years, so I should get a deal for that. Great guy, we talk and I promise to pray for him and his situations (and I gladly paid his service charge), and continue the “process”
Then began the new way of getting service. Online to LG, with an automated algorithm which then gives me a service phone number followed by and hour of some delightful time with a young man in the Philippines.
OK, so why am I telling you this? The world has changed! DUH! So, now I realize that the repair will cost just under 1/3 of the cost of the refrigerator 5 years ago. That is already needs this level or repair is a testament of how our appliances are built, but equally important is how I go about securing that repair.
We still need people! Machines cannot yet fix themselves, so they require people. Finding and scheduling those people requires a supply chair of technicians and parts. Either one of those can lead to conflict.
Our world is interconnected in ways we have no control over. I am completely dependent on this international company who has established their interface with me in a place where our language is not spoken as a first language. The simple transcription errors from the language barrier can be game-ending. What could go wrong?
We need our local contractors and service people. I sent an email to the company that is doing the repair in Arizona, and followed it with a phone call an hour later. Speaking with a real person got the transcription errors corrected and some personal service. We were polite to each other and compassionate on both ends. That helps our communication and understanding of one another….and hopefully my repair, before Thursday that the guy in the Philippines promised…still waiting on that.
This repair is still pending and we are moderately disrupted in our usual way of living. No lives were lost, no one was hurt…a little frustrated for sure.
Is there anything “Christian” in this situation? I think, as that we are called to love one another, even people who have trouble understanding us. Patience is a virtue that is in short supply these days. I don’t like trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak our language, but it is what it is.
By being patient and understanding with the first service guy led to me learning of his recent return to church after a 35 year absence. He share his deeper hurt from something he blamed God for. Without my patience (I suppose the crucifix and icons visible when you enter our home was a hint) he likely wouldn’t have shared his own struggles and satisfaction with returning to church. Praise God!
Our refrigerator likely won’t be fixed until Thursday, and they have a hold on my credit card to guarantee I will pay for the labor of the repair (the compressor will be replaced without charge). By being compassionate I was able to make a couple of guys day a little brighter by reminding them about God’s constant care for them in their lives.
I pray my little anecdote today helps you with the reality of “People who need people vs. The cost of everything”.
The blessings of Almighty God the Father, the Son (+) and the Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.
Amen?
Thank you, Padre, for retelling the story of how you navigated something that so many of us do without the grace and patience you showed. What a reminder!
Amen!!