Good Wednesday morning. All the baby robins grew up and flew away. Even the one straggler who seemed content to sleep in his nest Monday morning had flown away by Monday afternoon. The nest is empty. That little home now a shell. Not hard to figure out where the “empty nest” syndrome came from.
I cancelled my AOL account yesterday. I’d had it for about eight years but changed servers several months ago. Held on to AOL for some obscure emotional reasons, I guess. Suppose I was just used to them. Also, since I have high speed internet, I’d listen to their music and watch little videos and concerts from time to time. Fun stuff. But I didn’t need it.
I’d tried to cancel the first time back in late January. My rep sounded so sad. “Why would you want to do this?” he asked. So I told him.
Without missing a beat, he gave a rebuttal to every reason and added about 10 reasons why I really didn’t want to make this decision. My friend, Teresa, who had cancelled a few months earlier, warned me this would be the case. They’re really good, Gayle. Their job is to keep you their customer. They’ll try to talk you out of it. I know. They talked me out of it, and I wanted to quit!
So I’d been warned. Still the rep back in January was so nice. Turns out he was a Christian. Can’t remember how I learned that. We talked about the Lord and what He was doing in our lives. No kidding. Church right there on the phone with my AOL representative. My heart warmed. Defenses weakened. I’m not suggesting this was a ploy on his part. Just the result. After the sweet fellowship with this wonderful Christian AOL representative coupled with his commitment to offer my service free for the next month, maybe two months, I cancelled my cancellation. Just couldn’t do it.
Teresa laughed when I told her. Told ya! She had cancelled by then. Took advantage of the free months. Didn’t convince her to stay on. So she called AOL up a couple of months later and listened to their speil. No backing down. She cancelled. So I knew it could be done.
Yesterday I decided was the day. My free month had long since expired and now I’d been paying for the last two months. I kept telling myself it didn’t matter that the rep said this time, ain’t nothin’ gonna change my mind.
The conversation began just like last time. “I’d like to cancel my account please.”
“We’d be glad to take care of that for you, but may I ask why?”
Here we go.
I told her I didn’t use it. Oh but you do use it, I see. Well, that’s because I’m paying for it so I may as well listen to the music, I countered. I have another ISP. I’m happy with them. I’m not happy with you. Why aren’t you happy? You must have been happy since you were with us for eight years.
I didn’t want to tell her the reasons why. Instead I told her that I had a busy day. I’m done, I said. I want to cancel. Now. Don’t want to discuss this any more. Please let me hang up.
But she wouldn’t let it go. She wasn’t obnoxious exactly. Actually quite calm and kind. She spoke as some wise sage, compelled to spare me from such foolishness. While I might believe I’ve thought this decision through carefully, I could not have possibly, she seemed to say. If I realized all that I’d be giving up with AOL, frankly we wouldn’t be having this conversation at all.
Oh was she good. Told me AOL offer perks nobody offers. The pressure was horrific. She talked some more, so I talked some more. This is never wise in such situations. She knew the longer I talked, the more information she’d have to persuade me that my complaints could be remedied. Whatever my issues, large or small, she could take care of them. Today.
“Most people who do leave AOL regret leaving,” she continued. Isn’t that what religious cults say, I wondered. (I’m kidding!). Then she pulls out the big guns. “You won’t ever find the computer protection that we offer.” So what does that mean? The second AOL pulls the plug, 50 of the world’s deadliest viruses will come and attack my computer?
“I already have protection.”
“Ah but ours is free. Yours you must pay for.” A travesty, I know.
Enough already.
Finally, finally, I told her. “If it turns out I have made the worst mistake of my life, I’ll just sign up again and incur any charges doing so.”
That made her chuckle. After all, enough is enough.
So mission accomplished. I stayed strong. Cancelled my account. But this whole episode got me thinking. The only reason why I stood firm was that I’d already made up my mind to cancel. Back in February I had not. Simply because I’d decided nothing would change my mind this time, I accomplished my goal.
The Lord showed me I need to take such an attitude against those vulnerable areas in my life when I’ve the propensity to sin. Oh, we’ll never shed that sinful nature this side of heaven, but I surely could walk in victory a lot more if I just decide on the front end how I will handle certain vulnerable situations before I’m in the middle of them.
Ask me if I’ve bought almonds lately? Nope. Not an option. Oh, I’ll eat ‘em if I go to someone else’s house. I’d even buy them and leave ‘em there. Just not taking them home. As I’ve shared before, there is no power in a proclamation in and of itself. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can I act rightly, particularly in weak areas. Nevertheless, a whole lot can be said for deciding on the front end of a day how I choose to live it, in both the big and the small ways.
Now to those of you who are happy, delighted AOL customers and those who may be employed by them, I mean no ill will. Honest! So please don’t write me about that okay? Like I said, the customer service reps at AOL are very good at what they do. Just couldn’t miss the spiritual application is all!
Have a great day everybody. See you back on Friday.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:13)