Still On The Phone...

It's been one of those weeks. Lots has happened, some good stuff, some less so...and much of it has involved phone calls. I have already apologised to Sameela who rang Bob's phone [just as he was driving to a funeral] When I answered it for him, she said it was about his traffic accident. I thought it was a scam and said "He hasn't had an accident!" and promptly hung up...later realising it was regarding my accident. Our policy is joint, so his name and number had come up on her screen. 

Insurance companies, and other big organisations so often 'put you on hold' while you wait to be connected to the person you really need to speak to about your case. "Die to a high volume of calls, there may be a delay before we can get to you" So I put the handset on speakerphone, and leave it on the dressing table whilst I put away laundry. Eventually - after many recorded messages - I get through and we start to get things sorted.

But the repeated recorded messages are so ...impersonal and synthetic  sounding, and interspersed with dreadful music
'your call may be recorded for training purposes'
'please do not hang up, we will get to you as soon as possible'
'your call is important to us'
'we apologise for the delay and will be with you as soon as possible'
'it may take up to 20 minutes for your call to be answered'
I spoke to Muriel, briefly, gave her my reference number [I got that from James last week] - and she said she could put me straight through to the relevant section. Seventeen and a half minutes later Terry spoke to me. And so often, one has no option, but to sit there, like Debbie Harry, "hanging on the telephone"
My Nana used to go about her chores singing hymns, and one I enjoyed as a child was a definite Mondegreen. I was convinced she was singing that "God is still on the phone".  But even though I had misunderstood the first line of the hymn, the principle holds true - God doesn't 'put us on hold', and when we pray, we can get straight through to him straightaway.  He will never leave us, alone and unloved. 
The language may be a little archaic, but the promises are true. 

God is still on the throne,
And He will remember His own;
Tho’ trials may press us and burdens distress us,
He never will leave us alone;
God is still on the throne,
He never forsaketh His own;
His promise is true, He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne..