Off Duty, On Call

On a rainy November day my family and I were on one of our family outings. My wife and I drove separate cars and I met her and the children at our favorite family location, Chuck E. Cheese. After spending several hours there with the children we got our things together to go home. It had been raining all day and the children had needed that play time. As we prepared to leave our oldest daughter said she wanted to ride home with me. While my wife took the other children home she called me on the cell phone and asked us to pick up dinner. As we rode down the rainy highway I had no idea that I would be getting a call that would change me in so many ways.
My daughter and I went to a fast food restaurant near where we lived and as we sat in the drive through line I got the call. It was a business associate from Washington, DC, but at the time he was in New York. He asked me did I have a minute because he had an emergency that required my help. I got out of the fast food line and listened intently to hear the details of his emergency. He and his wife were in a hospital in New York City along with her father in ICU. He asked me if I knew of any clergymen in New York who could come to the hospital and pray for his father-in-law who he believed was on his deathbed. He explained that the clergymen at the hospital were either too busy or were just ignoring their request and they didn't know how long his father-in-law had to live. Also, they didn't know if he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. So, I told him to stay by the phone and I would make some calls to see what I could do. I made several calls to family and friends in New York to no avail. No one I called was available. As I continued making calls my daughter asked me what was the problem so I explained to her what was going on. She told me to "call our pastor and ask him what to do or, just ask Jesus because he was in the back seat of our truck sleeping." I looked at her and smiled and told her that we would try to call our pastor first. We got him on the phone and he said he would make some calls to see if he could get someone to help us with this situation.
I called back to the hospital to see how my associate's father-in-law was coming along and asked was he responsive to them. They informed me that he was in a deep sleep but would make movements with his hands every now and then. Time was running out and I had no one to call or to go see him in the hospital. My little five-year old daughter and I began praying for an answer to give to this family. In three or so minutes the spirit came over me and I was bound to help this family at that instance. I told them to take the phone into his room, put it on speaker-phone and see if he could hear me. They did as I asked and the father-in-law responded to his daughter by squeezing her hand. At that time I let go and let God and the Holy Spirit move. I asked him did he believe in God, will he accept God in his heart, did he believe that Jesus Christ rose on the 3rd day and died for our sins? He confirmed all these things by squeezing his daughter's hand. At that point my job was done and the Lord had another one of his children back in his hands.
I got off the phone and talked to my daughter about what had just happened. We then called my wife to tell her the good news. You see, when I got up that morning I had no idea that I was going to be praying for someone on his deathbed. I'm used to praying with my family at home or at church. God has shown me that I need to be ready at all times. If we love Him and have accepted his grace we're always on call. I used to think that we had certain times to be on duty for the Lord and that we would have prior notice but that's not the case. Working and serving the Lord is a twenty-four hour job everyday. I must be ready to do his will whenever the situation calls for divine intervention.
I often sit and wonder what my purpose is here on earth. Am I doing what I was sent here to do? So many questions, so few answers. As I continue to live each day, I pray that I may be of some help to someone and my work is not in vein. Life is short and I try to live each day to the fullest.
I want to share this last thought with you because I may never get the opportunity again. Take time to know God. He's there for you. Maybe one day when it's your turn to meet him no one will have to pray for you. Your work will have already been done. I could talk about this until the end of time, however, the question remains, are you on duty or on call?

Terrance Paulin
Always a Ready Writer