In the first half of the 2000s, the use of cell phones became more accessible and popular in the United States. At the end of the last century,(yes, I’m from the last century) the available cell phones were not much different in size and weight than a building brick. For that reason, when small screen cell phones were introduced, which was protected by folding and closing the phone, it was a great step in the technology and portability of cell phones.
The way you could have service was by making a contract with the cell phone company. Two years was the usual length of the contract. It was also common for the price of the phone to be included in the monthly payments for the service, with the commitment of not canceling the contract, (only renewal of the contract was allowed before the two years) or the customer would pay an unpleasant fine.
Many people decided to get these cellular services, and according to the company, were the available cell phone models. At that time, smartphones (iPhone) had not yet been released, so most contracts still included data in the service plan.
When the contracts were about to expire, what the cell phone companies did was start offering new phone models that by then were two years more modern than what each customer had. They also began to offer more apparent benefits in services, whether it was more data, more coverage, family plans, or other alternatives.
As phones became more modern, there was a time when I had one cell phone “smaller” than a brick. The size was “half” a brick. On one occasion I went into the store to make the monthly payment. At that time all the employees were busy, so while I was waiting for my turn, what I did was look at the new phones.
I fell prey to a phone that stole my heart. Well, removing a bit of drama, I saw a phone that I couldn’t resist getting, and then bought. Since my previous contract had not ended, the protocol was that if I bought a phone, the contract had to be renewed as well, that is, the account for a minimum of two years of service plus the cost of the phone, started over.
After the first month with my new phone, I received the bill for the first month of the new contract. And oh surprise! The cost went up in a way I couldn’t imagine.
After examining the bill in detail, I realized what had happened. Since I upgraded from the old phone before the two-year contract was up, the remaining balance on the old phone was included in the new contract. And my wallet hurt. I learned that lesson.
With that experience, every time I went to make the payment, I programmed myself to only look at the most recent phones, without even thinking that I could have any of them before I had finished that contract.
The companies were becoming more and more competitive with each other, and I decided to change service providers when that contract was up.
When I finally ended my contract, I assumed it was just a matter of calling customer service to officially request my phone number and switch companies. Just that, simple. Right?
Not necessarily.
The day came and I decided to call. After being on hold for about 20 minutes, they asked me the reason for my call. I told them the truth: “I want to end my services, I want to change companies.” And what happened was that they transferred me to another department, in which every person who responded to me offered me another two-year contract. After politely responding that I was not interested, they made me another even more attractive offer. And I rejected each one of them.
When that customer service representative couldn’t convince me, they transferred me to another person, and another person, and another person. And then to another person.
Until then, I had considered myself a patient person, and this situation tested my human limits. After having been with that company for several years, I had already decided to end the relationship. But they did not.
Every new person I talked to, started talking to me in good spirits, but I was ready to hang up. And that’s what they base it on as well, the customer who doesn’t have the patience to deal with the situation is less likely to change companies.
But I was already fed up with the situation. Many times I said no, no, no and no. And my wishes as a customer were not being respected. Even one of the people who helped me was criticizing me and challenging me why did I wanted to change companies. Wow, really? Now the birds shoot at the shotguns.
Filled with impatience and frustration, the moment came when I was ready to hang up, but thinking that I was going to have to start the process again another day, and lose two hours of my life again, I decided to continue.
To the last person I decided to talk to, I said:
–Look, So-and-So, I know you’re doing your job by trying to convince me to renew my contract. It’s good that you want to do your job well. But I’m the one who pays, and I’ve already finished my contract. Now, respect me as a customer, because you are not giving me any reason to want to eventually return to this company. Do you think that with so much insistence you will convince me? Well, you are doing the opposite. You have the right to do your job, and I have the right to say, I don’t want to be with this company anymore.
–(Customer service representative pause) Okay Marisol, I will make the necessary changes to the system so that your phone number can be transferred whenever you decide.
Has it happened to you that you express what you don’t want, and it is not respected? Were you able to firmly hold your ground? Did you give in to the insistence?
There was a time when Jesus sent his apostles to share the Good News to everyone, and he told the apostles that they could move on from the places where they were not received. Wow, how much respect for our own moment in life. Jesus did not say to go on a strike, protest, convince, transfer calls from one person to another, blackmail, manipulate or convince. God respects your will and my will, when we say yes, and when we say no.
In other words, it seems that Jesus does respect us, even when we say no.
Do you think you can say “no” to God?
In your case, do you try to impose your love and/or presence on someone else? How is that going?
When it comes to your inner life, in the most personal aspects, when you say no to something, is what you want respected?
The cell phone company did not respect my decision to no longer want to continue with the service, and I felt that they wanted to keep me captive, even though I knew what I wanted.
Do you know what you want? Do you feel free to say no? Do you know you are free to say no?
Perhaps God seeks that when we say “yes,” shall be out of freedom, and not out of something like an indifferent contract. I’m not sure anyone enjoys someone else’s company from that situation.
Jesus, respects your thoughts, words, feelings, when you say yes. And also when you say no. Do you believe it?
Jesus respects you because he loves you.
And if you end up saying no, or not yet, that’s okay. God has eternity in the palm of his hands. He reminds us that he will ALWAYS be with us until the end of time. And he doesn’t say that he will only be with us if we say yes immediately, at the first time.
Jesus does not impose his love, presence or message on anyone. Jesus is a gentleman, because he respects what you and I choose.
If any of us don’t want to, or aren’t ready to hear or receive love from him, no problem. His invitation is still there, constant, and respectful. When you and I, when each of us are ready, his love will be there ready to receive us.
If the Spirit leads you, share with Jesus the carpenter the areas of your life in which you need to say “no.”
And Jesus himself will respect the moment where you are at. And he will still be there for you, as well as for those who say “no” to you too.
Marisol
P.S. We can hear about Jesus telling the apostles to move on when they are not received, in the readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year/cycle B.
