The Cost of the Details

Just paid my phone/cable/internet bill online today and noticed that it was significantly higher than last month's.  It’s been a while since I’ve had a fluctuating phone bill due to long distance calls.  Unlimited long distance calling is the greatest thing since sliced bread in my daily life.  I hardly ever make local calls and I rarely bake bread – like nearly never.

So, how often do you actually read the details of your bills?

I’m talking about flipping that baby over, pulling out the magnifying glass and calculator, and READING IT.  Sometimes you might even have to lay them side by side to see where the changes happen.  Electric bills can be interesting because of the changes in generation and transmission rates.  However, the cable company seems to be the most notorious

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Frankly, I’m more concerned that my little guy doesn’t destroy the actual cable box while I’m paying bills than what’s written on the back of them.  Case in point, I have a dvd player with a permanently open door.  I’ve fixed it before, but not this time.  It’s been open for about 8 months now.

I know that organizers tell you that you only need to keep a year’s worth of bills, but if I’m still at a location, I have the bills.  I even keep them after moving until everything is completely closed and settled out.  You learn a few things moving as much as I have.

Any who…  I turned this and the last month’s bill over for comparison.  I noticed that a promotional rate had expired.  That’s fine.  I also noticed 3 lines of services that I had no recollection of ordering and didn’t want.  One I had forgotten to cancel after a three month trial– that’s on me.  The other two I didn’t know about.  That was $21/month wasted.  FOR. A. YEAR!!!  UGH!

I called the company and worked with a perfectly lovely costumer service agent.  She was able to speak to someone in charge and give me partial credit back for several months.  It was, after all, written on the bill.  This was a nice little bit of grace offered to me regarding my own lack of attention.  Now I need to go through other statements and see what else I have been overlooking that is draining my financial resources.

This has me thinking.

What grace am I continually given by God that covers my inattention to more important areas of my life?  Have I gotten so in the habit of my life that I don’t see areas of sin or lack of obedience?  What resources are being drained?  Just as the bill was eye-opening, the recognition of daily grace should be heart and mind opening.

So, how often do you actually read the details of your life?

For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.

                                                John 1:16 – Amplified Bible