Sunday, April 13, 2008

Can You Hear Me Now?....

Things were winding down after all of the unexpected circumstances of Saturday. "Rosie-girl" asked me if she could go for a quick exploration up on the butte before the sun went down. It was fine with me as long as she kept my cell phone with her for the 'in case of's'.

When the sun had set and things were getting dark, I decided to call her and see if she was just about home. After three unsuccessful tries with her not answering, I threw my shoes on, grabbed hubby's cell phone, and a flashlight. I met her at the gate of the park. She was walking slow and her head hung down. One quick look over and I knew....her slowness wasn't because of any pains. It was fear and trepidation.

"Mom....ummm I am really sorry but I uh......lost your cell phone. I've been trying to retrace my steps but I just don't know where it is. I...I......I am really sorry."

Several things ran thru my head:
How are we going to find it in the dark?
This park is almost 600 acres!
If we wait until morning will the night moisture ruin it?
How charged was the battery?
All of the data! Private numbers and everything.
The cost of a new phone.

I sighed, smiled, and then told her it was all going to be alright. We went back home just long enough to grab "Pippin" and head out to search. Our plan of attack was to re-trace her steps and listen for it as we took turns calling with the other phone.
By the time we were half way up the hill, it was pitch black and searching seemed to be quite pointless. And yet, "Rosie-girl" was desperate. Even though I couldn't see her in the darkness, I could feel her guilt and it crushed me.

I couldn't give up yet. So, I chose instead to pray. I said out loud, "God I know it is a material possession but it still matters to me. I could live without it but I would rather not. It is dark and the park is empty and scary. If you could please help us, I would be so grateful. Could you make someone hear the phone and pick it up to answer it? That would really be wonderful."

Then "Pippin" decided to call the phone again. Guess what? Someone answered it!
Two teenage girls had lost track of time in the park and were trying to make their way down the main path when the saw the small light off the side of the path and heard a sound.


We met up with them in the parking lot. As they handed my phone over, the low battery warning sound started to beep. I laughed and told the girls over and over again how much God had just used them to answer prayer.
And as if the idea of answered prayer wasn't enough for me, on the way down "Rosie-girl" said something that warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes.
"Mom you had every right to freak out and stuff but you didn't. Thank you for just listening to me and staying calm."
I could have freaked when she first told me about my phone being MIA. I was certainly tired and drained and no one would have blamed me. But I chose not to.
My mind instantly traveled to future "talks", those talks where she will confide in me with a little bit more assurance because she knows I will do my best to listen and not freak out.
Thank you God...........thank you.

10 comments:

  1. Now you've got me all teary-eyed over a cell phone! (Isn't God wonderful? And don't you just love rediscovering it over and over?)

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  2. I am quickly reminded how love covers it all. The hardest thing to do is to respond and not react. You could have damaged a relationship by getting angry. AS we know trust is a hard thing to earn in a teenages life and you have earned that trust with Rosie girl. You showed her God's grace in a situation by not reacting but gently letting God handle it. Jules you have left the door open for many more talks. You are awesome!

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  3. What a wonderful story, and amazing things all round. Good on you for not freaking out, you must have had to take quite a deep breath at that stage, but wow was it worth it!

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  4. Quilly...God uses the most ordinary things to make a point and really cool points.
    Like me (being ordinary that is, God does thepoint making).

    Kelly...Thank you my sweet friend.

    Mima...I am so glad you liked the story. God is too cool!

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  5. You just have to love it when a plan comes together! LOL

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  6. God can and does use every situation for His glory if we take the time to look for it.

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  7. Gene and Jeff...how cool to get a visit from the brothers tonight and just 20 minutes apart.

    Everytime I look at my cell phone now I just laugh. How many things came into play to make it all happen. It landed face up so that the screen light would be visible, the battery lasted, there were people on the hill in the dark!
    God is oh so very cool!

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  8. God is great because He made her lost a cell phone and not herself, it could have been worse than the lost of a cell phone, she could have lost her way in the park, met some nasty person, disapear with no reason... but no; it was just a cell phone instead, and because it is you, and her, you found it back.

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  9. Kitem...you are so right. Even if the cell phone was lost forever, how could that compare to the safety of my little girl.

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  10. You are beyond price, My Darling Jules~. Each new encounter endears you more to me. and I am so comfortably certain of the constant grace of who You are.

    I do Love You, You know.

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