Hardwiring Problems

Let me set the stage. I live in the the heartland of Virginia – in the Piedmont area – that area between the Tidewater (coastal, bay shores and lots of rivers feeding into the water bodies) and the Mountains (Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, higher elevation.)

We are not near the heartbeat of the technologically available areas of solid and reliable wifi, internet infrastructures. The infrastructure bill passed years ago and we still are waiting for something that is solid and has higher bitrate than 10/10 (a tiny step above AOL dial-up).

A couple of months ago, our phones started acting up. We tried multiple ways to remedy the situation, had the phone company show up, and more. The conclusion was the wires were messed up in the walls. Yep. Not covered by the extra phone insurance plane we have. It is century old building with its of work done since the 1910’s

So, up into the old rafters our man went. And it was the wires that looked chewed on. We’ve got squirrels – cute rodents with a fluffy tail. A new phone line fixed the issue, but there was more. The wiring for our in-house internet system was also damaged – squirrel dental work did a good job in the blue cat-5 wire as well.

So now, both the phone and the internet is back to its normal, albeit a generation old, level of efficiency.

What can we do with this situation? What standards can we put into practice to prevent this in the future? Interestingly, we can take this situation and apply the lessons to many areas of our lives.

1 – Don’t give the devil a foothold (Eph 4:27-29)
… be vigilant and know where you have weaknesses. In this case, put up screens, plug holes in the wall, and look for access to our attic that would be small enough for tiny four-legged animals. In life, avoid locations that tempt, put into place hedges and guardrails that protect and prevent.

2 – Catch the foxes (Song of Solomon 2:15)
… there are little foxes that mess up the vines in a vineyard. In this case, get rid of the squirrels. I would try to be humane, but they are squirrels. Get rid of them. So, I called our guy – a different guy that ran the new wire. This guy, let’s call him Jack, this guy is our pest control guy (just called him about snakes too!) We called him to get rid of the squirrels. In life, we not only need to prevent bad things getting into our life …

3 – Ask your friends for Help (Jeremiah 33:3)
… Call upon God, find refuge, discover strength, cling to His comfort. He will help you, He cares for you. In life, we need help through accountability, assistance, and availability. God provides – He is Jehovah Jireh.

He is an almighty God that loves us. He cares.

The squirrels are handled in our lives. But there are still issues in our lives that need vigilance. – Footholds – Foxes – Friends.