Missed Call

A man got lost hiking Mount Elbert, which the highest mountain in the Rockies.  The round-trip hike should have taken seven hours, but the hiker spent 24 hours wandering from trail to trail, trying to find his way back to the proper trailhead.  Alone, and disorientated, he had not expected to spend the night on a snow-capped mountain in Colorado.  Certainly, he had survival on his mind, so the last thing that he wanted was to deal with, was an endless string of spam phone calls.  That’s why, while roaming the mountain, he repeatedly ignored all incoming calls from an unfamiliar number.  As the phone rang over and over again, he just let the calls go to his voicemail, assuming that they were junk messages about extending his car warranty, or taking a customer survey.

But all those calls were actually from the rescue teams, vainly trying to find him.  When the hiker hadn’t returned to where he was staying, officials were alerted, and then they sent out a search and rescue team.  A dilemma which could have been solved in mere hours, ended up taking more than a day, simply because he wasn’t answering his phone.  Afterwards, county officials released a statement advising people that if they are ever in a similar situation, they should always answer phone calls because it could well be someone trying to help you.  Whatever situation you’re in, there are likely people out there, trying to reach out, and to bring rescue to you.  Like the hikers unfamiliar incoming calls, your help might also come from unexpected places.  It might be a call from a friend checking in on you.  It could be from some helpful information you read in a book or a magazine.  Or maybe a doctor, co-worker or neighbour, who told you something that you needed to know.  Whatever and wherever the help is coming from, please don’t ignore it.  So, maybe it is time to open up the Bible’s pages and take all the abundant help you can get – without any risk of spam calls, or hiking misadventures, just quickly call to Jesus, quickly answer him every time he calls you, listen to him when he calls, and always stay on the safe paths. [Quoted from Heather Quintana]

How about this classic story; a hiker went out on an early rigorous hike in the rugged mountains, the trails were rugged and steep, but very familiar to her, the weather was crisp, the views were drop dead gorgeous, she arrived back for a later lunch, much enjoyed after the invigorating hike.  Then she noticed some scurrying activity, the word went out that a hiker was missing, as a lady was lost somewhere out there in the wilderness.  Never one to back down from a rescue, and she was very familiar with the trails, she shouldered her hiking pack, stepped up, and was quickly allocated the less travelled paths, those very paths that she was very familiar with, paths that she had just most recently trekked.  As evening drew in, she reported back that nothing was located, everybody else also reported in, no news, and then she asked the name of the missing hiker, and when the name was told her, shock horror, it was her own name, she had been all this time searching for herself, all afternoon, along with all the others, great result, the lost was found, but a bit embarrassing for herself, and for the search coordinator, who had never ever checked out the names of the searchers.

There is even the case where police were searching for an escaped prisoner, as he was charged and jailed for putting too much meat in his meaty pies, use more gravy and stuff he was told.  Anyway, they put him in jail for a period, but the prisoner got bored, so escaped into the hills.  Being a hunter, where else to get fresh venison, he went bush, but as search parties went out to find him, he circled back, joined the police search team, loaded up with fresh supplies from their stores, and headed out to look for himself, the joke on the police search team came out much latter. 

Deuteronomy 1:43 “So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.” Proverbs 1:25 “But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:” Jeremiah 29:19 “Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them]; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.” Quote; “When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the message.” {FLB 287} How often has God called out to us, even directly, maybe through some strong impressions, through some scripture and written words from a good book, by spoken words by Preachers, Friends, News Reports, but how often does God cry out in pity to us, as we refuse to heed, heeding – we would not, we ignored the calls, sent them to Voice Mail, “Missed Calls,” to our own detriment and failures.  But why do we shut out God, why are we so slow to act, Joel 2:13 “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Luke 24:25 “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:” All those so many “Missed Calls.”  Here is another story/parable; Luke 15:3-7 “And he spake this parable unto them, saying, what man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?  And when he hath found [it], he layeth [it] on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he cometh home, he calleth together [his] friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”   Are you going to heed the call to repentance and Salvation, are you going to perish because you ignored All those so many “Missed Calls.”