A Little Red Phone

When I was a little girl, I remember going to the funeral of a dear friend of our family, Mrs. Lois Aley.  She loved gladiolas and planted them in her garden every year.  She would babysit us sometimes.  She had a cool house with a neat basement.  At the funeral, the director gave opportunity for those in the crowd to share remembrances of Mrs. Aley.  One of the ladies told about when she needed prayer for something, she would always ask Mrs. Aley.  She said it seemed as if Mrs. Aley had a little red telephone that she could just pick up and talk right to Jesus.

I always remember that.  I don't know why.  It is just a memory that has always stuck with me.  The little red telephone.  Maybe it's because I like red.  I have no idea.

Back to present day. . .  My dog is hyper.  Really hyper.  I haven't taken her on a walk in a long, long, long, long time.  Last night, I would wake up to her running the length of the bed, hopping over me (like a football player through the tires. . .only she was the football player and I was the tire), and doing flip-like movements.  Poor thing.  We are so boring. :)

Normally, she is fine while I take my shower.  She will maybe hide under the bed until I am done.  I knew that since she was hyper, she was more likely to find something "interesting" to play with while I was otherwise occupied.  So I put her on the bed.  I know she can get off if she really wants to, but she tends to stay there if I put her there.

She did.  She was such a good girl.  I came to get her off of the bed.  Her little tail was wagging back and forth - so cute!  Then I saw my phone.  Right in front of her. Oh. No.  It looked fine from the back, but when I turned it over, it was completely destroyed.  Since it is a touchscreen phone, there was nothing I could do.  I couldn't get the phone feature, let alone text, or use the web. Nothing.  There was no reason to fuss at the dog.  I had left the phone in our bed. . .with a hyper dog and now the phone was gone.

It's okay.  Josh reminded me that we still have his blackberry and we have an upgrade in one month, but have you ever forgotten your phone somewhere?  I know I rarely use my phone for emergencies, but isn't it always the case that when we need something, we don't have it?  I was driving to work this morning and just knew that this would be the day something would happen.  Something where I would need my phone.

I've gotten to work okay this morning, but I still have an event that I am going to tonight and will be driving home late.  I can picture myself on the side of the road, something wrong with my car, and no phone.  As I am going over the possibilities in my head, an image pops into my mind.  A little red phone.  I remember that no matter where I am, I can always pray.  I always have access to my Heavenly Father.  I don't need to have any device to talk to Him.  I don't need to go through a person to get to Him.  I can just talk to Him.  In fact, He even knows my thoughts. . . my prayers when I don't even use my voice.  He knows me.  He knew before I did this morning that Daisy was going to chew my phone.  He even knew before it happened.  He knew while it was happening.  He also knows what is going to happen to me this afternoon and already has a plan to help me.  I love my God and am so happy that He loves me more.  And that at any time, I can pick up my little red telephone called prayer and have a long conversation with Him.

A Conglomeration of Semi-Related Thoughts

I had to laugh a last week.  I came to work, walked to our back refrigerator, was about to deposit my lunch when - WHAT?  Someone put their lunch in MY SPOT!  I had a moment of annoyed frustration.  Then there was a little recording that played in the back of my mind of ME telling my little Sunday school children, "No, that is not YOUR chair.  You do not own it.  Anyone can sit there.  You just need to find another seat."  Ha.  I need to learn my own lesson.  What is it about us humans?  Do we ever really learn our own lessons?  We do get rather possessive of OUR things. . .parking spots, church pews, lunch bag spots. . .   :)  But are they really OURS?  No.  Why do we get so upset?  Don't we know better?

I am sitting here thinking. . .I wonder if such a company is hiring?  You see, a little bit ago I was talking to an authority of mine about some of the situations I have to deal with . . .they asked me to please stay where I am even though it is frustrating.  There is really nothing that either one of us can do about the situation.  Anyway, since that individual said that to me, I have been doing just the opposite - thinking of places where maybe I could get a job that would allow me to push myself and really DO something. Do I need a new job?  No.  Maybe there are things about my job that I don't like (as if a perfect job with no snags exists), but Who was it who placed me here?  Wasn't it the Lord Who helped me get here?  Didn't He put me here for a reason - whether or not I know what the reason is?  So, despite all of my reasoning, I do a job search and see something interesting. As I am about to click, a little voice (a.k.a the Holy Spirit - the part of the Godhead Who lives inside of me and guides me) says, "Don't do it.  You are exactly where I want you.  Be still and know that I am God."  As much as I love that verse about being still and knowing that God is God, I have a really hard time with it.  I don't like to be still. . .I like to have goals and plans.  I like to know where I am going and at what time I am going to be there.  I love that God has a plan for my life, but I don't really like to be still.  What a human I am.  But what a good God He is.  I tell myself to "Be still" again.  And again.  And again.  I'm about as good at being still and knowing that God is in control as my dog is at sitting when I tell her to - which is definitely not a strong point of hers. . .

I have a recent pet peeve. . .maybe not recent, but it has been raring its ugly head in my life recently.  I hate it when other people don't want to help others by spreading information.  I hate it when they are stopping progress because they insist on tradition (let me say, I understand and agree with some tradition, but there are times. . .when we need to let go a little).  So this morning, my mom sent out an e-mail with a word of the week and a thought of the day.  It went like this:

"obscurantism \uhb-SKYOORr-uhn-tiz-uhm\,noun:

1. Opposition to the increase and spread of knowledge.

2. Deliberate obscurity or evasion of clarity.
Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.  ~Thomas à Kempis"

As I read the first part of the e-mail, I thought, "Yes.  This is what I hate.  I could apply that definition to too many people in my life right now!"  Then I read the quote.  Point taken.

Do I feel like a heathen right now?  Maybe.  Am I being too transparent?  Maybe.

I guess this is my way of swallowing my pride and admitting that I am not as perfect as I think I am. :)