Yesterday I spent 45 minutes on hold, waiting for a customer service representative to pick up my call to the IRS. Finally a man answered, told me his name and agent number, and then we were disconnected.
Though I did not want to, I called back. After a 30-minute wait, a woman answered and she handled my questions with kindness and competence. (The IRS is not a pleasant entity, but the accountants who take the calls are by far the most professional customer service agents in American life.) All told, I spent nearly 90 minutes on the phone, most of that time on hold. Near the end of our conversation, the agent asked if she could put me on a brief hold.
“Yes, ma’am. I’d love to hear that hold music again.”
She laughed. “You know, I’ve never actually heard that music!”
“Well, if you haven’t heard it, that means you’ve got your life together.”
If you pay your taxes on time, you may never have to call the IRS. But if you find yourself owing more than you can pay, perhaps you too can spend an hour listening to hold music at 1-800-TAX-1040. (It’s a clever number.)
“The result of righteousness will be PEACE. The effect of righteousness will be QUIET CONFIDENCE forever” Isaiah 31:17.
Most of life is as simple as managing money (it is not easy, but it is simple): small indiscretions create simple problems. Bigger failures create complicated problems.
Debt is not sinful, but it sure can disturb the peace.
Overspending is like overeating—it is an expensive habit that creates more problems than it solves. Reduce your consumption of food and your life will be more peaceful. Reduce your consumption of possessions and you will find even more peace.
If you have worry, anxiety, fear, dread, or just too much stress: live RIGHTEOUSLY. Live righteously, simplify, and minimize.
“The effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever” Isaiah 31:17.
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Household Words: 