The phone rings, “Who You Gonna Call?”

By “Deacon G” Gautrau

It’s two o’clock in the morning and we’re startled by the ringing of the phone. We jump up from the bed and fumble to answer it as our heart begins to race.

There are many situations that can cause that reaction in us. For instance, what if our daughter’s not home from her date which has a midnight curfew? What if our son is in Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces? How about, if we have a parent who is seriously ill and who has been in and out of the hospital many times recently? What if our wife’s not home from a trip to the store to get bread and milk for tomorrow’s breakfast? She left at 9 p.m., and we fell asleep on the sofa and didn’t realize she hasn’t returned home. What if our husband’s not home from work and we know the car he’s driving is on its last leg?

We all hate to get these calls. Many times it’s just the wrong number and we hang up, mutter something about the caller being an “idiot,” and restlessly try to get back to sleep as our heart rate returns to normal.

But what happens when our worst fears are confirmed? Something has happened, but we don’t know the seriousness of the event. We may only half-listen on the phone. Our mind is rushing as our blood pressure rises. We imagine all of the worst case scenarios and don’t get all of the details the first time they are told to us. Subconsciously we begin to pray, before we even have a grasp on the situation.

If the call requires us to take action, we rush around to get dressed, have trouble finding our shoes and keys, shout out to other sleeping or half-sleeping family members to “Get up!” and either expect them to react as quickly as we have (even though we’ve had a couple of minutes head start) or we just grab them and say, “Something‘s happened. Let’s go!” As soon as our mind starts to clear, the first thing we began to do is pray. “Lord, let everything be alright.”  Could it be because we recall the words, “As a mother comforts her son, so I will comfort you…” (Isaiah 66:13)

If the caller tells us that we shouldn’t be worried and that everything is okay, we say, “Thank you, Lord,” for we are told, “Give thanks to the Lord who is good, whose love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)

If someone has become seriously ill or injured, we say, “Please Lord, heal them,” and we encourage them to pray, for we read, “Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray.” (James 5:13)

Finally, if we are told that the very worst has happened and that someone has been killed or has died from illness, we begin praying for the deceased, their families and for ourselves to be able to accept and get through the difficult times. In this case we are told, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

Why is it that in each situation we instinctively turn to prayer? Is it because we know its power and because our God loves us, comforts us, hears our prayers and we are grateful to Him for all he does. When all else fails, our faith will get us through the toughest times.

Let’s not keep this gift to ourselves. We have a responsibility to spread the good news to all those who haven’t heard it and to let them know in times of trouble, who we’re “gonna call” and who they should call too.

 

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