As boys and girls go from being grossed out by the opposite sex to not being able to get enough of its members during their adolescent years, strange things happen. I myself enjoyed having crushes in junior high (but not so much those roller coasters of emotions that came with them). My mama didn’t give me much relationship advice, but she always told me not to call boys. “Let them chase YOU, Emily,” she said. And for the most part I did. But not everyone’s mama gives her that same sage advice.
I bring this up because recently, I was minding my own business, working in my office, when my phone rang. My office phone rarely rings, and when I didn’t recognize the number, I answered it in my most professional voice: “LifeWay, this is Emily.” On the other end, the unmistakable voice of a young teenage girl said, “May I speak to Bill?” When I assured her there was no one in my office or even my department by that name, she decided she must have dialed the wrong number and hung up.
Thinking that was that, I tried to get back to work. When my phone rang a few seconds later, I wasn’t too surprised to see the same number on the caller ID. I answered, and the girl was surprised that I answered instead of her precious Bill. I tried to explain my phone number to her, and she tried to tell me the number she was trying to dial. In frustration, she hung up.
I didn’t even try to get back to work but just waited for the phone to ring again. Sure enough, it did. SURPRISE!—same number on the caller ID. At this point, I resolved to help this girl figure out how to get in touch with this guy. So I answered the phone, and she was still a little surprised that dialing the same phone number still made my phone ring. (What’s the definition of insanity again?) I asked her where this Bill lived. Mobile, Alabama, she said. OK . . . that helps. So with a simple Google search, I found that Mobile’s area code is 251. The same as my prefix.
When I tried explaining (over and over and over) that since she was in Nashville and she wasn’t dialing 1 first, the phone was just taking the first seven digits of the ten-digit phone number she was trying to dial. And those first seven digits happened to be my number. So after I explained that she would have to dial 1 first, then the area code and the number, she thanked me and hung up.
Thinking the matter was resolved, I got back to work. A few minutes later, my phone rang again. Yep. Same number. I answered, and she said: “Oh. Huh? You again? Well, you were right! I dialed 1 first and got him. So he said he’d call me right back, and he hasn’t done it yet. So I’m calling him.”
“So how come you’re talking to me?” I asked.
“Oh, whoops. I guess I forgot to dial 1 first,” she said.
Precious girls, all of ‘em. Even when they’re not using their brains. I won’t venture into the self-esteem issues that could have been at play in this girl’s life that made her want to chase this guy. But I’ve seen it enough in the girls I’m around (and my junior high self) to have a good idea of what might have been going on in this girl’s “relationship” with Bill. Most girls will go through that phase of immature boy-craziness (I know I did, regrettably), and I’m sure we all need extra grace and patience to extend to those in it. (The Lord knows how much was extended to me by my youth leaders!) I know our God is faithful to give us what we need when we ask.
Oh, and by the way, today is National Cheesecake Day. You have an excuse to enjoy that wonderful dessert. (And if cheesecake isn’t your thing, you have our permission to shorten it to “National Cake Day.”) Knock yourself out. ;)
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