Bye Bye Cell Phone

[jbergsing]

Last Tuesday, my cell phone was stolen while my back was turned (not for more than 30 seconds) at a truck stop in Nashville, TN. I'm pretty sure I ran the full gamut of emotions within 15 minutes of the theft. While I was searching to see if I had just dropped it, I noticed a man looking kinda odd at me so I asked him if he'd seen a blue cell phone or the person who'd taken it. This guy's voice was so scratchy that he had a very distinct sound to him. He denied anything and left. I should have followed him and gotten some information off the vehicle he got into. I reported it to the waitress and she immediately ran and got a cordless out. She dialed the number thinking we'd hear it ring around my booth. But to her surprise, someone answered it! And what do you know? It was that voice! He had the nerve to tell me he was in NYC and this was his company's phone and threatened to call the police if I didn't leave him alone! When I asked him what he thought the NYPD would do about a phone call coming from Nashville he hung up and shut my phone off. So I turned around and called AT&T and perminently shut it off for him. Fortunately, I had the original phone I'd gotten when we signed up (with Cingular) so I swung by a local Cingular/AT&T store and they slipped a new SIM card in, did whatever they do to activate it and I was back up and running ... but without my RAZR.

The reason I'm posting this isn't to cry over my lost RAZR ... although I really really really liked that phone ... but to confess how angry I'd gotten over it. After it was all over and my old phone was operational, I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt because of the things I'd said out loud and in writing to my wife and a friend over the matter. Things I'd never even thought before just came flying out of my mouth. I still can't believe how enraged I became, not just over not having the phone, but that someone had stolen it from me and lied to my face about it. My wife, in her naturally loving way, during my "time of derangement", calmly told me it would be OK and that he obviously valued it more than I did or he wouldn't have taken it in the first place and that he would have to give an account for his actions. Then it hit me: So would I! After I got off the phone with her, I was on my knees in this truck asking for forgiveness. I never knew I could get that angry over something so easily replaced. Praise God for His mercy ... I'm more in need of it than I'd ever thought before!

 

[Poimen]

It is surprising how the smallest things can make us so upset. It also surprising how the smallest things can be used to show us our sin and misery and need for Christ.

 

[Greg]

Cell phones.......such a blessing and a curse all at the same time.

 

[Puritanhead]

If someone steals from me—particularly when I catch him red-handed, then he would be laying on top of the table in a headlock, and he tries anything, I would give him a free lesson in Muay Thai and Jujitsu on him. I don't care about getting hurt myself anymore. Broken bloody noses heal. I come from the Jacob A. school of fighting.

 

[jsup]

I'm the type that if someone needed anything from me (within reason) I would help them out and give it to them. But stealing it from me would make hunt them down like an animal. By the end I would be doing this

But I must admit Materialism is a vice of mine. I enjoy the newest technology and gadgets way too much. I have nearly finished my new PC, and I thought, "What if the house burned and I lost my computer?" That shows I have some priorities out of wack. I can understand your anger. I guess God does these things so that we can reflect and say, "What was I thinking?"

 

[Richard King]

Well keep in mind they aren't just stealing a little cell phone.
I had mine stolen from the front seat of my truck one night and someone ran up over 200.00 dollars worth of calls before I even knew it was missing AND Cingular doesn't do any investigating. They simply bill the victim.

If a thief doesn't feel any pain they continue to steal and actually feel quite proud. They think you don't deserve things they don't have.

 

[Herald]

during my "time of derangement

Brother, all of us have those times of derangement. They are shadows of our former depravity that still places havoc with our mind and wars against our soul. But you tasted the kindness of the Lord who has lead you to repentance in this area (Romans 2:4). God bless your dear wife for her wise counsel. It is yet to be seen how this insignificant phone may be used by God in ways that transcend our comprehension.

 

[jbergsing]

If someone steals from me—particularly when I catch him red-handed, then he would be laying on top of the table in a headlock, and he tries anything, I would give him a free lesson in Muay Thai and Jujitsu on him. I don't care about getting hurt myself anymore. Broken bloody noses heal. I come from the Jacob A. school of fighting.

Believe me, my gut instinct was to deal with him. I can't explain it but I knew he had it. I looked him over to see if I could see the shape of my phone in his pockets but I couldn't. Had I since its outline, he would have been dropped then and there. I was in a fit of rage. But I (fortunately) restrained myself, not having enough evidence to prosecute (execute). But what can I say ... it's a paperweight now. As soon as he tries to have it turned on, the serial number and IME number will show up as stolen. He may not get arrested, but he'll lose it then and there.