After being out of my office for several days, I set my laptop down and couldn't miss the little blinking red light on my work phone. For some reason, seeing that flashing light always makes me feel like I'm behind on something I don't yet know about.I sat, hit my extension and then the code. It's from Friday. Cavalierly, "Hope it wasn't something pressing."
The message began, "Heavenly Father, you've brought Morgan Young to my mind and heart with a sense of urgency today..."
No longer looking at details in front of me, I'm staring at the phone. The prayer continues. The unidentified caller lifted me and everyone in my family up to God by first and last name. He prayed for me as pastor, teacher, father, husband, friend and counselor.
He went on to pray for God's influence through my life and prayed that God's love would wash over me. After about 2 minutes of praying the man's voice simply said with a smile I could see, "I love you."
Having spent the last couple days at home with a fever, I toyed with coming in today or not. The little flashing light revealed that coming in was indeed a great idea.
Naturally I saved this message. I played it again as I wrote this and had to take time to wipe emotion out of my eyes.
It's simple and so powerful. Someone taking time to pray for you. Taking time to pray into a cell phone. God speaking generalities through one man that are heard as specific encouragements to another.
This invisible Force that some say doesn't exist, put my name into the heart and mind of a man I haven't seen in months (and before that it had been months). This man decided to not dismiss this chance occurrence of my name popping into his head. Instead he credits it to this invisible God and manifests these thoughts into a phone call.
He could have hung up when I didn't answer, taking it as evidence that it wasn't mean to be; but instead follows through with a benign voice mail--this unassuming vehicle that we use everyday. And there it sits until the blessing is revealed these five days later.
I clicked onto Facebook and messaged who I thought it was and asked if it were he. Turned out he'd been driving when God slammed my name into his head, so he said. He admitted after all these years he'd finally learned to be obedient to what God wanted when He wanted it. What simple yet powerful words.
As I share this story I wonder how many times I've missed a prompting. How many times I've missed an opportunity to bring the holiness of God into the earthly mundane life of someone else. And I am thankful that this somewhat distant friend followed the Wild Goose last Friday, driving in his car.
"Lord, help me to hear and obey. Not just when I'm actively praying or in a church service--but wherever I am and throughout all hours of the day. Help me remember that You love to show up and show off in the details, in the otherwise unassuming pockets of our lives. Help me, Father, to hear and then follow through. Oh--and thanks for the voice mail..."
