(ThyBlackMan.com) ‘For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but shall do My will, achieving the end for which I sent it.’
– Isaiah 55:10
My neighbor discontinued his service with Comcast in favor of AT&T over the weekend. If it’s not careful, Comcast may soon go the way of Lucent Technologies. I worked for Lucent immediately out of college until the economic downturn of 2002 when telecommunications was the main industry on the bubble. When it burst, core issues of quality of service were being 
scrutinized by customers with tighter budgets and less room for careless errors; and Lucent was failing miserably.
Complacency and monopolization is a dangerous combination. Since Lucent didn’t have many competitors to deal with, though the quality of their equipment was decent, the level of customer courtesy and service was lacking. It had grown comfortable with being a giant amongst the providers of telecommunications material. Enjoying the large stakes it controlled in a niche market, Lucent treating its customers like Ghostbusters clientele: “Who you gonna call?”
Rather, “Who else are you gonna call?!!” – pertaining to the reputation and manufacturing of goods offered. But ever so slowly, other competitors crept into the market offering lower prices with quicker and more accurate service to boot. Granted, the smaller companies had their flaws but they were willing to admit and compensate for them whereas Lucent was not. As such, Lucent was eventually toppled by its own monopoly.
I recognized the same arrogance in Comcast about a year or two ago when my wife and I went without internet and cable service for three months while we were led around by our noses regarding a permanent solution. I say “permanent” because prior to and after this three month stint, our service had intermittent connectivity and, in equal parts, shoddy customer service consistency.
My response, though supernaturally patient (‘cause my flesh was screaming at my spirit to act out during this period!), was to issue a very common threat: “If this isn’t resolved expediently, I’m ending my service with Comcast!” The threat, however, was idly DOA as I had nowhere to go! Companies like WOW and Clear were present dangers to me – choices that could work but left me without a large enough base of comparison in customer satisfaction amongst my peers. But then, ironically, there was AT&T. Ironic in that Lucent Technologies was a derivative of AT&T which branched off from Bell Laboratories.
While AT&T’s customer base and presence in the industry was strong enough, it wasn’t offering services in my area. So when Comcast received my threat to leave, though they offered me discounts to account for my inconvenience, they likely took my threat lightly.
Spiritually, I was a little embarrassed. As effortlessly as God’s word doesn’t return to Him void, we humans have to work hard at it. Sayings like “My word is my bond” are easy to state but hard to enforce at times. So when I told Comcast I’d leave but it didn’t happen immediately upon them not meeting my demands when I wanted them to – in my mind, I’d failed my own word which I put forth.
But AT&T DID eventually become available in my area and I’ve been with them for the past five to six months. In hindsight, I see an important spiritual lesson at play: God’s word may seem slow to work but it’s never ineffective. Notice the rationale I implicitly had regarding my desire to leave Comcast. I could have left them right away and been without internet, phone and cable service if my wife would’ve allowed it (my spirit was willing but her flesh was weak – I love you, Mrs. Kee; your key role set up a good lesson)! BUT… We waited until a better option was readily available so as not to interrupt our service.
I’ll write that again: We waited until a better option was readily available so as not to interrupt our service.
If we really stopped to think about this – is that not how we’d like God to operate?:
– I want out of my job, Lord – NOW! God’s response: “Not yet My child. I’m setting up your next job which will be far better for you. If I open up the door for you to leave now, though, you’ll be without income unnecessarily. Don’t barge through the door I’ve closed and open up another on your own. Be patient.”
– I want out of this relationship, Lord – NOW! God’s response: “Not yet My child. If I release you from this wo/man now, you will not learn the lessons you need which are preparing you for the spouse I’ve already selected for you. Besides, if I open the door for you to leave now, you will surely go into another relationship with old and new baggage to self-destruct yet another bond. Be steadfast and preserve yourself.”
– I want out of my trials, Lord – NOW! God’s response: “Not yet My child. I need you to see the hardhearted role you played in getting yourself into this in the first place, lest you go from this trial right into another similar circumstance like a dog which returns to its own vomit (Proverbs 26:11), you will return to the same mistakes. Be diligent. Soften your heart. REPENT.”
Thank God that His word doesn’t always return immediately! Rather, It goes to prepare a place for us where we will find rest (John 14:2-3). It does a work to set us up with plans for our welfare not for woe – for a future full of hope (Jeremiah 29:11-12). All the while, ensuring that we are dually prepared to walk in a better life more abundantly (John 10:10) – without so much as a fraction of service interruptions! As such, oughtn’t we praise and worship Him unceasingly?!! SELAH.
Staff Writer; Reggie Legend
Can find more about this writer over at; http://www.steelwaterspoetry.com
Also available as a Keynote Speaker – Book him Today; Speakerwiki – Reggie Legend
