"How Will You Answer?"

It had been almost 8 years since we had a land line at our house. There was a time when we just weren't at home very often. So, our cell phones were more than sufficient. Since coming to Oak Haven, with senior pastor obligations, it has become necessary to have a home phone. I can't tell you how many telemarketers have called since it was installed! I don't hate 'em; I use to be one, but AAAHHH!

I was reading the SWTX conference newspaper and came across an article from my former D.S. (Bob Allen). It was a great thought. Here it is, reprinted without anyone's permission....

Each and every time the telephone rings there is a mystery attached as to “what” may be on the other end of the line. Is it another telemarketer or in days past, a promo for a particular political candidate? This is always a part of the mysterious moment. Do I let it ring and ring and ring until voice mail kicks in or do I brave it out and press the “talk” button? When you see your caller ID, is it the determining factor as to whether you will answer or ignore? What goes through your mind when it says, “Bob Allen” or the “Kerrville District Office?” Is your first reaction, “I wonder what they really want?”

I personally have experienced the telephone as an instrument of good and bad news. I have often wondered about the split-second timing that takes place in determining “if” and “how” I will answer a call. Will I be casual or will I be formal? Does my voice go “up” or does it go “down?” Each and every time the phone rings there is a mystery attached that can affect my life in ways I may not be prepared for. Do I accept the call or do I reject it within the blinking of an eye? Some calls do not make any impact upon my life. They are nothing more than noise on the other end of the line. However, there are some calls that can literally change everything in my life or for the one who is calling. A few months ago I received a “wrong” call. It was from a person who simply dialed the “wrong” number. They were trying to reach a friend and when they discovered they had made this mistake, they apologized profusely for the bother they caused at such a late hour. I replied, “It’s ok, you are not bothering me.” And within a moment I merely added, “Are you alright?” to a “who” I didn’t even know from Adam. And they responded, “No, not really.”

I did nothing more than listen to a “wrong number” that suddenly became “right.” Was it my obedience to the Holy Spirit that made me trustworthy for this stranger in the night? Why did God choose to use my sleepy head at such a late hour of the night? What if I had chosen to ignore this one call? And I wonder about all the missed calls in my life and all the opportunities that were mine to have but were thrown away. Each and every time the telephone rings there is a mystery attached as to “what” may be on the other end of the line. When it rings, how will you answer?