Today was an interesting day. It started as I got home from dropping Hope off at school and turned on my computer & logged on to Facebook, as most of you reading this do every day. My morning on Facebook is the evening time for our Seattle area friends and family, so I usually do some catch up what the day has brought. And I found that Sunday had brought life & death. Two such extreme parts of life happened to two different close friends/family.
First, I read about the death of a friend. I am Facebook friends with Shannon, but we had actually never met... The one great thing about Facebook is that you make friends with people through a friend of a friend ;-), maybe that 6 degrees of separation thing. Well, Shannon & I were 2 degrees apart. She was the best friend of my cousin Jennifer Flajole. Shannon reached out to me after seeing my name on comments to her college friend Melanie, who lived in Chiang Mai. Out of all the people in this city, I had become friends with someone she knew here after she had mentioned to Jennifer that she also had a friend here. AMAZING! In her message to me, she mentioned reading this blog and that it had given her encouragement. Shannon is home with the Lord now, and even though it is hard for us to understand why it IS a much more joyful place for her to be.
Second, I read about the birth of my friends Conrad & Jessica's baby girl, Vivianne! I was so excited to see a couple of beautiful pictures of the baby. So much excitement fills my heart when I think about all the love that they are embarking on as this precious girl has just been born. Congratulations Conrad, Jessica, & Vivianne!
And finally the title of my post "The Power of a Real Phone Call"...
After reading about Shannon s death, my first thought was to call Jennifer & give my condolences...so I did. Even though reality is still sinking in for her, she has God first in her mind about the entire situation and that gives peace. She was thankful for the phone call.
About 3-4 days ago, I kept thinking about Jessica and her pregnancy and I felt strongly to call her...so I did. It was so great to talk to her, and it turned out the day I called was her due date & she was feeling a bit down about no sign that her baby was coming soon. We talked about how life is in Thailand, and she talked about how she was feeling with the pregnancy. She was thankful for the phone call.
As much as I would like to take the credit, all the credit goes to the Light that shines through me. He is worthy to be glorified for wanting to touch Jessica & Jennifer through me making a caring phone call.
I would like to encourage you to do more than send a text, email, or a Facebook message at times. If you feel it in your heart to call someone & reach out, do it! Sometimes texting, emailing, or messaging is appropriate, but it has somehow taken over calling. As "old school" as it seems, hearing a real live voice has benefits to both people on the line. Take the time to call even if you don't know the words to say...if you are urged to call, HE will give you HIS words to say.
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~Philippians 1 v.20-21
Lastly, please keep Shannon's husband, Jennifer, Jessica, Conrad, and baby Vivianne in your prayers today. Amen.
