Do you ever get so caught up in what you are doing that when somebody walks in the room you blow them off to keep steady at your task? Or maybe the phone rings and you just let voicemail pick it up?
I confess, I have gotten in to the habit of letting voicemail pick up those calls that don’t register on my caller ID. My number is out on quite a few ministry materials so calls from those I don’t know come almost daily. So, after months of being interrupted by those I didn’t know, I slipped into the habit of just letting modern-day technology meet the callers initial need.
As I’ve been trying to keep my eyes open for the One who might need help, you would think I would be sensitive in this area. You would think I would have viewed those phone calls as such an opportunity. But, NO! The phone rang AGAIN. I was busy and didn’t recognize the caller ID. I thought, they can leave a message and I’ll call back. That thought had no more than formulated in my thought processes when the word “STOP” flooded into my mind. I thought, seriously! And there it was again, “STOP.”
I reached down, picked up the phone and heard a man’s voice on the other end. He was homeless and had had his sleeping bag stolen. We had a great conversation as we worked out his situation. In the end, he ended up encouraging me by the time we hung up.
Trying to be more mindful of this word STOP and how that included me stopping to answer the phone, even when I don’t know who is on the other end of the line, the phone rings again. This time it’s a woman whose son has just been sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was struggling and needing someone to talk to and pray with. Once again, I was blessed by the conversation and learned more about the heart of this woman.
I don’t know if you struggle with this, but man, why is it so hard for me to just STOP? Why am I so set on my days to-do list and the work that needs to get done that I can’t be bothered to answer a phone call from someone I don’t know? Who knew stopping could be so hard?
Stopping to answer the phone and giving up my time was nothing. So why the hesitation? Why couldn’t I see my phone as a tool God uses to connect me with people. I was so thankful to see God’s truth ring forth though as He blessed me tremendously through that simple act of obedience.
Are phone calls from unknown caller ID’s hard for you to stop and answer?
Do you see phone calls as interruptions to your day?
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