I really hate telemarketers. I mean I really hate telemarketers. Just the other day I was downstairs in the office and minding my own business when the phone rang. It was an innocent ring, the kind of ring that makes you feel good about picking up the phone to answer. We haven’t publicized our home phone number for various reasons, but somehow… just somehow… it got into the hands of a telemarketer. And unfortunately for him I answered.
Apparently our specific phone number won our household a $200 shopping spree to any random store IF we pulled all of the strings attached to this man’s outrageous offer.
I told the guy thanks, but no thanks, and hung up the phone – all the meanwhile,
I was subconsciously fulfilling my Christian duty of not cursing a random, hard-working telemarketer.
Yeah…
And I say all of this to state a simple message: I hate being talked into something. I absolutely loathe being bribed. I don’t like people telling me one thing and then turning around and showing me the ‘fine print’ five minutes later. I would rather them jump straight to the point. Do you want me to buy your product? Do you want me to invest in something I have no interest investing in?
Because I hate being swindled.
Every week I post a support blog. Sometimes you may notice, sometimes you may not. Support raising’s actually really hard for some missionaries because the missionary ends up being someone like me, someone who absolutely hates asking people for money. Why? Honestly, I’m not sure. I think part of it is a pride issue and I think the other part is insecurity. It’s not that I’m not confident in the ministry I’m doing, it’s that in this time of economic downfall, I’m afraid of what your reactions might be.
And because week in and week out I ask for financial support, I almost feel like a rambling telemarketer… one of those guys that’s always dropping ‘blog alerts’ in your inboxes and inadvertently asking you to give financially to the ministry that he’s a part of.
I don’t want to be “that guy”.
I’m not asking you to buy a product. I’m not asking you to invest in stock that’s going to lose value. I’m not asking you to write me a $200 check, fill out four credit card offers, and enter a drawing for a potential tax-deduction.
I’m not asking you that.
I’ll be honest though: I would really appreciate your financial support! This is a ministry that I believe so strongly in that I’ve dedicated at least the next year of my life to it. I’m investing my time, my energy, placing some of my dreams on hold, turning down several job offers myself, and pursuing recklessly a call that God has placed on my life.
I’m not asking for you to ‘reward’ me for answering the call with a $20 donation – that’s not what this is about. It’s genuinely about you supporting a ministry. It’s no different than you sponsoring a kid from Compassion International; no different than giving money during the Jerry Lewis Telethon; no different than dropping a few extra dollars towards the Children’s Miracle Network.
It’s no different.
So I promise I’m not trying to talk you into something week after week. If I’ve come off that way, I’m sorry. I promise that I’m not trying to get you to sign up for something that you don’t want to sign up for. If I’ve misled you at any point, please forgive me. And I promise that you’re not investing in something that you’ll never see a return on, because if you never see a return, then I’m not holding up my end of the bargain.
