One Call

How many times has life been just moving along normally like a leaf floating on the surface of a stream when a phone call dramatically moved life in a different direction?  Sometimes these calls are ominous reports of a friend or family member who has received a diagnosis or been fired from their job.  Occasionally these calls are urgent requests for assistance (my car broke down, I'm locked out of my house) -- can you help?

On other occasions, these phone calls can be long awaited good news or an old friend who suddenly made contact after years of being out of touch.  Sometimes the call that changes our day, our week -- even our life -- is one that is so random and unpredictable that we could never have seen it coming.  I received a random call like that yesterday.  Not a life-changing call by any means, but a random call that was an opportunity for the Lord to teach me.  The call came while I was having a serious conversation.  I looked down at the caller ID on my cell phone and saw an unfamiliar area code.  I made a mental note to make sure to check the message when my meeting ended.  When I checked the message, it was someone whose name I've heard, but I've never actually talked to before.  The information honestly wasn't at all earth shattering.

That being said, I found the rest of my day was suddenly consumed with thoughts of something I hadn't even considered prior to that call.  I went running yesterday (a truly invigorating marvelous run btw!).  For the entire time I ran, I found myself savoring the details of this phone call.  I couldn't help but notice how fickle our attention can be.  Had I not returned that phone call when I did, my evening run and thoughts would have been completely different.  Some of this is simply interesting to me.  But to some extent it is a bit troubling.  Does this merely indicate how captive I am to my momentary circumstances?

Where is the line between being responsive and attentive "in the moment" and having our hearts and heads led around by whatever is dangled in front of us?  Jesus was a man on a mission.  His long term goals were directly before Him and His main path was not one that would be altered.  Yet he was constantly presented with impromptu situations that required a change in focus.  I think of the woman with the bleeding problem (Luke 8:42ff) who snuck up on Jesus to pursue healing.  He stopped what he was doing and addressed her, and when he did another opportunity presented itself (Jairus).  His focus changed, but his priorities didn't.  I need to figure out how to do this better.