The stand-in
I had an experience yesterday at my bank that stopped me in my tracks. About a week ago I accessed my online bill pay account to well...pay bills. ;) I logged in and answered the security questions correctly and and and was LOCKED OUT! This was a small annoyance at the time and I resolved to handle it the next day. And I tried. And the next day I tried. Each time I would call the number listed, I would be placed on ignore for long minutes, listening to cheesy music through static. The days were ticking by and I was no closer to getting my bills paid. A phone call to my bank verified what I already knew, they didn't have control over the online program.
Finally, last night, I had success! I actually made it through on the help line to talk to a real human. But this human seemed new, and hesitant, and she asked me a series of about 10 questions to verify my identity that increasingly made me suspicious. Finally after a question that seemed way out of the scope for what was needed, I asked to speak to a supervisor because I felt the questions being asked were unnecessary at that point. She got quite nervous and put me on hold for about 5 minutes. Then she got back on the line, told me her supervisor wasn't available, and there was nothing more she could do for me if I wasn't willing to answer her question of who I planned to donate my organs to someday. (OK - slight exaggeration...). I thanked her for her time and hung up resolving to march into my bank today and not leave until they blessed me. (Note the Jacob reference there? PK..remember?)
I arrived at the bank and explained my situation to the teller who immediately summoned the branch manager who ushered me into his office and listened sympathetically to my tale of concern. He allayed my fears by telling me that I had indeed called the right number. He said that there is a list of questions that the online people can ask to verify ID and that they usually ask about 4 questions. He said that for some reason I got the whole gamut.
Then he swiveled his computer monitor around and told me that he was going to call that same number and get them to unlock my account. He dialed. He pressed the correct menu choices. He got the smarmy on-hold music. He waited. We both waited. After a few minutes a woman came on the line and asked how she could help. He identified himself and gave his employee number. I could hear the respect in her voice. She asked him a couple more verification questions as to his ID, and then proceeded to unlock my accounts. Just like that.
He smiled, had me test logging in again and of course it worked perfectly. I said, "That was so much easier!!" He laughed and said, "She just needed to verify who I was, and then she could take care of it." I thanked him profusely for taking care of something that had taken me a whole week with no progress. He shrugged and said "It's what I'm here for, come back anytime!"
It's what I'm here for...come back anytime.
I had a huge epiphany. I felt like the little bear cub from the movie Brother Bear in the scene where he is doing his best big boy roar to scare away the attacking mountain lion. Remember how the cat cringes away and takes off as the little cub is roaring? And he feels all proud until he looks behind him and sees the huge bear standing in for him, with a roar that will make your blood curdle. All the cougar could see was the stand-in. And that's all that mattered.
How often do we try to shoulder our heavy burdens in this world? How often do we bang our heads against the wall trying this way and that to fix things that we've messed up? We've been given a solution if we would only tap into it. Christ has offered to stand-in for us in ALL those situations. When we allow Him to, it's HIS face, HIS power, HIS identity that our problems see. We are suddenly out of the equation completely as he fights those battles for us. Let Him.
It's what I'm here for...come back anytime.
Make it a great day!
Finally, last night, I had success! I actually made it through on the help line to talk to a real human. But this human seemed new, and hesitant, and she asked me a series of about 10 questions to verify my identity that increasingly made me suspicious. Finally after a question that seemed way out of the scope for what was needed, I asked to speak to a supervisor because I felt the questions being asked were unnecessary at that point. She got quite nervous and put me on hold for about 5 minutes. Then she got back on the line, told me her supervisor wasn't available, and there was nothing more she could do for me if I wasn't willing to answer her question of who I planned to donate my organs to someday. (OK - slight exaggeration...). I thanked her for her time and hung up resolving to march into my bank today and not leave until they blessed me. (Note the Jacob reference there? PK..remember?)
I arrived at the bank and explained my situation to the teller who immediately summoned the branch manager who ushered me into his office and listened sympathetically to my tale of concern. He allayed my fears by telling me that I had indeed called the right number. He said that there is a list of questions that the online people can ask to verify ID and that they usually ask about 4 questions. He said that for some reason I got the whole gamut.
Then he swiveled his computer monitor around and told me that he was going to call that same number and get them to unlock my account. He dialed. He pressed the correct menu choices. He got the smarmy on-hold music. He waited. We both waited. After a few minutes a woman came on the line and asked how she could help. He identified himself and gave his employee number. I could hear the respect in her voice. She asked him a couple more verification questions as to his ID, and then proceeded to unlock my accounts. Just like that.
He smiled, had me test logging in again and of course it worked perfectly. I said, "That was so much easier!!" He laughed and said, "She just needed to verify who I was, and then she could take care of it." I thanked him profusely for taking care of something that had taken me a whole week with no progress. He shrugged and said "It's what I'm here for, come back anytime!"
It's what I'm here for...come back anytime.
I had a huge epiphany. I felt like the little bear cub from the movie Brother Bear in the scene where he is doing his best big boy roar to scare away the attacking mountain lion. Remember how the cat cringes away and takes off as the little cub is roaring? And he feels all proud until he looks behind him and sees the huge bear standing in for him, with a roar that will make your blood curdle. All the cougar could see was the stand-in. And that's all that mattered.
How often do we try to shoulder our heavy burdens in this world? How often do we bang our heads against the wall trying this way and that to fix things that we've messed up? We've been given a solution if we would only tap into it. Christ has offered to stand-in for us in ALL those situations. When we allow Him to, it's HIS face, HIS power, HIS identity that our problems see. We are suddenly out of the equation completely as he fights those battles for us. Let Him.
It's what I'm here for...come back anytime.
Make it a great day!
Comments
Post a Comment