The phone rings… do I take this call?, we ask ourselves… The phone rings a different time and we immediately answer. From the people we want to hear from, a phone call can be a top ten highlight. How many stories have we all heard that climax to the statement "then the phone rang!". I think our expectation for the phone calls themselves, give so much more excitement to the call. I also think it easily works the other direction. As great as we all know the "then the phone rang" phone calls are, we equally put negative weight on the calls we DON'T want to get. Have you ever changed someone’s name in your contacts as "scary person" or rather "don't answer"? Like you needed to be reminded? Interesting how our mindset plays into how the phone call can go. Well I had one of those phone calls yesterday and it went a little differently than the norm.
We (Melissa and I) live in the dark ages of having a home telephone. It's VOIP and it’s only there for emergencies. We don’t necessarily give the number out as a good way of communication, but none the less- it’s there. The overwhelming pattern is that the only calls coming IN are the ones you don’t want or even greater, you didn’t ask for. Sales calls. While this may not be the “don’t answer” person that you STILL have saved in your contacts, we all do actually get to know our sales call companies. How you ask? Well from my experience, the same companies call over and over... And over and over and over. Honestly speaking, we all know why we hate sales calls. “No, we don’t want your products… for the 10th time!” Salesmen are relentless.
So we have this company that keeps calling us here at the house on our phone that nobody typically uses to get ahold of us on and they’ve reached the top of Mount Annoymore. The first time I was polite. Typical response was given. I asked to be taken off their call list. Yada yada yada. After two more calls proceeded within the next few days, the conversation changed. “Ma’am, why do you keep calling us? We’ve already said no three times. Please take us off your list!”. Wouldn’t you know a few days later, unspoken company calls again. At this point I decided to laugh. Mustering up my best “aunt mildred, uncle billy bob” voice I had in me (if you know me, I got this down to… well… like I was a bonifide hillbilly) and gave a good ‘ole fashion conversation about life in “the holler” and how Marybeth just wasn’t feelin that good these days since “she done ‘adder denture tooth nubs redrilled.” It was a riot. I’m laughing hysterically at this point and they didn’t stick around for the second round. Let’s call it a draw.
I’ve just let a few of their calls go lately. I guess I didn’t have the moxy to deliver my weak at best Shawn Connery or dig real deep for my hood slang that I learned while doing inner city work in KJ’s neck of the woods. (Newport represent!) But for some reason, yesterday was different. With all that’s in me, I was stopped dead in my tracks while trying to walk away and ignore yet another call… I heard that whisper in my ear… “answer it and see what I want you to do.” Time out. TIME OUT. Seriously? God you talkin’ to me about the annoying sales company? I’ve learned that at these moments you have a quick moment to decide or you miss your opportunity. I’ve decided to ignore this in past situations and the thought of what I missed always proved to be more annoying than dealing with the situation at hand… (we can’t out give God!). So, I answered it.
“Mr. Neal?”
“Yes.”
“Hi, this is Rob from _________, and the reason I’m calling is…”
You know the schpeal from there. Right in the midst of the schpeal, I heard God say to me, “he’s going thru a very difficult situation in His family and you need to pray for him.” Now, I’ve been asking the Lord to give me more opportunity to help people experience the genuine God that I know He is. I believe that any time a person who hasn’t experienced the love of Christ, has that dynamic life changing opportunity every time that they encounter a believer, but as we all know, thinking about opportunity and walking in opportunity are two totally different realms! So I rudely interrupted his schpeal and just threw it out there. “I’m a Christian and the Lord wants me to pray for you. Is there anything that I can pray for in your life?” …. …. …. Awkward pause. …. … … I heard a totally different voice now. Still Rob, but real Rob. With a slight quiver in his voice, he responded with an abbreviated story of the struggle him and his wife are having in getting full custody over their adopted (potentially) daughter. His burden was tremendous and here I am the one God was sending to help meet a need. I asked him if he was a believer, and he responded that he only believed that God was real but didn’t have an active faith as his lifestyle. So, the quick of it is… we prayed. I prayed. He listened in agreement and it was beautiful. The presence of the Lord filled my bedroom and was flowing thru me like a river. Rob was encountering God like he never had before.
How often as Christ Followers, do we miss our opportunity to have a simple, yet profound impact on what we deem as common. I believe supernatural living is seeing what is familiar as unfamiliar. Seeing what is known in it’s ending, to be unknown. Seeing what may be true to the eye, not as what God sees. It’s our time to be sensitive to the “Robs” that are all around us. Rob was so deeply touched. We shared briefly after our time of prayer and I just encouraged him to be open in the next few days and that the Lord was send another person to him to lead him in next steps. Community, teaching, serving, and commitment. I know that God was faithful to follow up. As I experience these, I’m forever changed. The face of God that is seen in the midst of this, brings you to places of humility and revelation of His love like you’ve never seen. I encourage you to take a risk. Trust your instincts… hear that still small voice and respond. You won’t be disappointed. It’s time. Who in your familiar world does God want you to treat like you’re encountering them for the first time? Offer yourself. Say yes to Him and see what great things will be added to you.
