I didn’t recognize the number so I let it ring. I mean let’s face it…most phone calls these days are telemarketers…or worse…scammers. So sorry, not sorry, if I don’t recognize the phone number, I’m not going to pick up.

In the middle of something I completely forgot to check back and see if the caller had left a message. Until this morning when I noticed there was a message waiting.

When the message began I was actually sorry for a few seconds that I hadn’t taken the call. I knew the caller. Not personally except to say that we had met a time or two but I admire his work and his heart for Jesus and would love to have had few moments of conversation with him.

His words were full of hope and encouragement and so timely for my heart. I listened to his message several times and because he had prayed for my husband, Ken, and my family I shared the message with them as well. We were touched by his compassion and his faith. At that moment I was thankful his message was recorded so I could share it to encourage the ones I love. At the end of his call, he said, ‘this is my cell phone so feel free to call anytime’.

It reminded me of this.

God left us a message. The most miraculous thing about His message, His Word, is that it is new and fresh every single time we read it or listen to it. It’s full of hope and encouragement, compassion and faith. Examples of great faith to help us grow ours.

His message in Jeremiah 33:3 is “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wonderful things that you could never figure out on your own”. Notice there’s no caveat…only call during business hours…or when it’s an extreme emergency…or once you’ve tried everything else on your own strength. Nope. Just… call…and I WILL answer you. Oh and I will encourage you and give you the secret sauce to life…what you could never figure out by yourself.

And when His message touches our heart we will want to share it with others. Just like the message I got from a fellow traveler, reminding me that God is faithful and very near, I want you to know that where you are and what you are going through is no surprise to God. And even more, know that if you will let Him, He will tell you the things your heart desperately wants to know. That you are loved, really loved, and that there is no where you can go in this life that He won’t walk with you through it. Just call.