The Telephone Call I Didn�t Receive | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Telephone Call I Didn�t Receive | Previous Challenge Entry
By Chris Stanley
07/23/08
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“…And thank you Lord for the phone call we didn’t receive last night…” I was taken back as I heard these words in the prayer that was offered by my friend. The phrase “phone call we didn’t receive” continued to ring in my head. “Amen” was the only other word I heard in the remainder of that prayer. Racing through my mind were several questions such as: what did she mean? What phone call? Who was supposedly calling? Why didn’t I get the call? Why would the call have come last night?

My thoughts were circling. As I thought of my next question I simultaneously arrived at the answer to my previous question. Suddenly it all came together for me. My seemingly endless string of questions now has answers. I have no idea how long we were praying or how long it took for me to figure things out. Whether it was ten seconds or ten minutes I am just happy to now understand.

Family emergencies are what she was referring to. Anyone with a little life experience has received an unfortunate telephone call informing them of a horrible accident or terminal disease involving their closest loved ones. Pondering the times my family and I have had to both receive and make these telephone calls in the past, stirred up a lot of emotion inside of me. No one ever wants to have to deal with these calls. Every call is life changing. Every call is dreaded.

Our prayer time was over and the room was clearing out. Yet I found myself still in my seat shaking my head in agreement with a prayer that has been over for several minutes. It truly is a time for thanksgiving. That telephone call was not made to my family or friends last night. In fact no one I know received that call yesterday.

A moment of prayer triggered hours of reflection for me. Oh, how simple it is to take our health and even our very life for granted. Genesis shares, what I believe to be the most miraculous portion of creation, which is when God breathed life into Adam and Eve. That was the gift of physical life. One could argue which is the greater miracle – the gift of life or the maintaining of life?

Truthfully I do not care what the answer to that question is. Regardless of which miracle is greater, both are gifts and both can only be performed by God. I just want to live my life appreciating every breath that my loved ones and I take.

I know that my relatives are not going to be immortal on this earth and that I will continue to receive horrible phone calls in the middle of the night. However, I also know that those phone calls provide us the ability to appreciate the time we do have. It also makes me wonder if I am making the most of the time God has given to me. Am I truly doing all that God wants me to do? Am I doing all that I can to witness to those that do not know Him? What about you? Are you making the most of the time that God has given you?

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