andi oakes

I had the privilege of visiting Wales a couple of weekends ago and whilst I was there, in the very south western corner, I discovered the truth about my mobile phone network - that it really is completely rubbish.  I spent the entire weekend opening and losing my mobile phonelooking for any sign of network coverage in vain.  There was nothing...absolutely nothing. Not even a glimmer of a signal flickered on myscreen and it was totally frustrating.  I thought it would be somewhat liberating to be out of signal range for a while and feel the complete freedom of not being in contact with anyone from home...but it was absolutely awful.

So if anyone tries to sell you the idea of having a technology detox and suggests shipping you off to some supposedly quaint little cabin on the side of some squirrel infested mountain somewhere well beyond the reach of civilisation (which usually involves not having a toilet by the way) then run away, because they're nuts.  I hated every second of being out of contact with those who are the most important to me.  It was just dreadful to not be able to pop off a note to let them know what was going on and how I was doing, or to find out how they were, or just to get any kind of message from them at all so that I could know that everything was ok.

And so I would have been in almost complete despair that weekend except for one glorious hour when I went for a walk down by the harbour of the little town that I was staying in.  As I ambled along, my ears firmly plugged into my mp3 player, I just happened to glance down at my phone and discovered, much to my surprise, a signal!

My thumb, which had been poised and ready for such a moment, blurred into action with the reflexes of a Lioness who'd just stumbled upon the secret location of the fabled obese gazelle herd of the African savannah (don't google it, I made them up. But if you do discover them,remember where you heard it first), and I began speed texting with all my might.  And then it got even better, when I started getting replies!  Everything was right with the world and I felt as though I couldfinally relax fully.  What a difference it made.  So I stayed there foran hour and just kept the communication going, and it did me the world of good.

I'm a citizen of heaven according to the Bible.  Not because of what I have done, but because of what Jesus has done for me.  He makes it possible for me to have a home in heaven, but He doesn't just leave it at that, because He's made it possible for me to keep in contact with Him as well - even though I can't see Him.  But just like my mobilephone network, I go through patches where the signal is just awful.  Sometimes it's my fault - I keep messing with the receiver down here or forget to keep it on charge or, like every nearly every other male on the planet, I think I can get the best results without ever needing to consult the manual until I really have to. But sometimes my network seems to go down and it's not my fault at all.  Sometimes my network provider seems to go offline, and nothing I seem to do can bring it back, no matter how hard I try.

But in all of these trials of communication, I am learning a simple little truth for my own walk - when the network's up and the signal is clear - make the most of it and speed text like crazy!