I never thought I would even attempt to write a book. I have honestly always been too scared that if, if... it ever got published my pride would get the best of me. But one day someone encouraged me to write down some of my stories, so here is a chapter from what I have started.

I hope you enjoy it and tell me what you think. I am thinking of calling it...
"Seriously God, What just Happened?"

Cable guy ( is the title of the chapter)

Two months from getting married I discovered the job I was hoping to get was not going to happen. I had this whole plan worked out. I was going to work at my college for a couple of years so then I could get my masters degree for free. Ten years later and I am masterless. I know that is probably not a word. So my brother-in-law just got a job as a supervisor for a cable company and he offered me a job as one of his installers. I know what you are all thinking, “This guy is crazy! You never take a job working for a family member and on top of that, a cable guy?” Almost straight out of the movies.

I went to cable guy school to get my certificate as an installer and complete my pole climbing training. The pole-climbing thing was pretty awesome, once I got over my fear of heights. I really did not have a choice in the matter because I just got married and had nothing else lined up. One of the guys in my class actually did not make it. The thought of it alone can freak you out. The only thing suspending you in the air is two metal spikes that go into the pole only about a half-inch.

I met a lot of interesting people while I was installing cable service and disconnecting service for those who did not pay their bill. No joke, I actually disconnected cable service from a church that did not pay their bill. Why on earth would a church need cable to begin with you ask? Super bowl outreach parties of course! Or maybe UFC outreach parties. I know that was mean. Back to the interesting stuff…

Probably the most interesting situation I came across was in a lower income part of town. Most of the time, as you can imagine, that is where our disconnections happened. This one was actually an install. I pull up, grab a cable box and all my tools to do the job, not really thinking much about where I am.

As I begin my work I begin to feel that something is just not right about this situation. Not in a scary sort of way but in a more… depressing way. I was becoming acutely aware of the living situation of the people I was serving. I had seen dirty houses before. Some people just don’t like to clean, but this, this, was very different. It was not about cleanlyness, it was about the well-fare and unhealthy living environment. I am sure it had never been vacuumed, mopped, or swept. There were numerous kids running around who probably had not had a bath in weeks and clothes on that were jus as bad. Who knows when the last time was that they had a decent meal? There was a hole in one of the exterior walls about the size of one of those large foursquare balls.

I could not believe that people would do that. Drop $80 on and install for cable and not even feed their kids, fix the hole in the wall, or something else. The least they could have done was waited for one of our free install offers. I left dumbfounded. “God, why do people do that?” I asked. I was so angry and broken inside at the same time. But, you know what I learned. What is the difference between them and that huge house that I was just at? You can have everything, but the still have nothing. Or better yet, what is the difference between me and them, between you and them? We all try to fill that hole in our home, our hearts, with joys other that the ultimate joy, God’s joy. Theirs was just out in the open. Ours we hide it, or justify it.