Clearly I'm Wrong

I looked at the caller ID before answering the phone. A cell phone call from a number I didn't recognize. Thinking it might be someone I know but not know their cell number, I took the chance and answered.

Me: Hello.

Caller: Peggy?

Me: I'm sorry, you have the wrong number.

Caller now turned Grumpy Gills: (Angry sigh) Why do you have a Townnearby number if you live on Nameofstreet?! Your number is wrong!

Me getting a bit or maybe a lot defensive: Because I live on Townnearby side of the road. The other side is Othertown side of the road. (where we live, our road is the boundary road for the two towns and depending on which side of the road you live is what determines the mail service and emergency response dept)

Grumpy Gills: Well, I've been trying to get a hold of Peggy and I can't find her number. Do you know Peggy and the other [it was the same first and last name of my husband...there are three in our area]?

Me in a bit of a snotty voice: Um, no. And even if I did I wouldn't tell you, Grumpy Gills!

Grumpy Gills: Sorry to bother you....click.

As I relayed this conversation to one of our children I couldn't help feeling like it was my fault I lived where I live and have a different phone exchange than what the person thought I should have. I didn't make up the rules. I've had this phone number for twenty-five years. How dare this caller make me feel guilty!

I admit my snotty reaction was wrong. I was taken off-guard; made to feel like I had done something wrong. The more thought about it, the angrier I became.

Then the old light bulb lit up. It's not me. The caller was clearly frustrated in not being able to find the person she was calling. Yet, I had to chuckle thinking perhaps the person she was calling had gotten rid of their land line and didn't have a phone number in the phone book. And this person was calling on their cell phone. (Irony isn't it?!)

I have no idea of what was going on with this caller. No idea if this caller treats others like that. It was the callers tone and accusations. Perhaps the person was having a terrible day and this was just icing on the cake.


But, I can CHOOSE to not take it so personal...which I have a terrible habit of doing. I can choose to try to understand the person may not be happy or have so many things going on in he/she's life.

Isn't it funny how God can turn something so simple as a phone call into an object lesson? Yeah, God is funny that way...and I wouldn't want it any other way.