Once while reaching out for the soap in the bathtub, I slipped and fell. My feet shot into the air and I fell with a thud on my back. I gingerly opened my eyes and found that except for a slightly bruised elbow, I was none the worse for the fall. I cautiously glanced around; I could have hit my head on the side of the tub, have blacked out or fallen over.
I looked up and whispered a silent prayer to God, then suddenly felt ashamed: It had been a long while since I’d talked to Him. I looked up and smiled. I knew it was a gentle reminder that He had missed me. A father, out of parental concern and a desire to teach his young son responsibility, told him to phone home whenever he arrived at his friends home a few blocks away. The boy began to forget however as he grew more and more confident in his ability to get there without any disaster befalling him.
The first time he forgot, the father called to make sure his son was safe. He told him the next time it happened he would be punished. A few days later, the boy went over to his friend’s place, but the father waiting at home for the call, found the phone lying silent. The father knew he would have to punish the child but he felt bad that he was going to spoil the son’s playtime with this friend by having to punish him and get him to return home. So as he went to the phone he prayed that God would give him wisdom in handling this little problem. And as he dialed it seemed he heard the Lord say, “Treat him like I treat you.”
The father dialed then hung up. A few seconds later the phone rang and it was his son, “I’m here dad!” “What took you so long?” his dad asked. “We started playing and I forgot. But dad, I heard the phone ring once and I remembered.” “I’m glad you remembered my son,” said the father happily. “Have fun.” One ring. Just a gentle reminder that a father was waiting for his son’s call..!
How often we get that one ring. I got it, in that fall in the bathtub. “Hey Bob! I’m missing you!” “Lord I could have lost my life!” “Thought I’d remind you, I’m holding you.” “Yes Lord, but the fall?”
“Was the only way you’d remember me son!” And so it is in all our lives. One ring to tell us to get back to God. One ring to have us know He’s holding us. One ring to remind us He’s there waiting. I wonder how your ring is sounding. Mine sounded nasty in the bathtub but it got me calling back immediately..!
