Help Is On The Way

Last night an ambulance barreled down our quiet cul-de-sac at two in the morning. Bright lights were whirling around, illuminating bits and pieces of the neighborhood. When the hues of orange and yellow lit up the faces of family, I detected concern. They witnessed their loved one wheeled out on a gurney, strapped in and curled up on her side. What could the problem be? Our neighbor is around my age. Maybe she was severely dehydrated from a bout with a stomach virus or perhaps she had a fall down the stairs. All I was left to do was pray, so pray I did.

I'm not sure why I was still up at that time of night. Normally I would have been in bed. Maybe it was the concerns on my heart, or the highly caffeinated diet Code Red I guzzled earlier in the evening. But to be truthful, a phone call from a friend in Texas at 1:30 a.m. is what kept us awake at that late hour. He wanted to tell us about his son's wedding from the past weekend, and didn't care what time of night it was!

All I know is, while sleep is nice, the privilege to pray for someone else is even better. I'm glad I was awake to see the need. Have you ever had an odd set of circumstances cause you to be in the right place at the right time to intercede at the throne of God on behalf of someone else? What a precious gift!

We can use that thick sense of concern or worry for the good of others when we enter in prayer to our Savior. God doesn't want us borrowing trouble from tomorrow by worrying about the unknown. But I think in cases like this, He does use our burdens for someone else as a way to help us pray for them. When we put ourselves in their shoes, and empathize with them, we end up praying with greater fervency and urgency.

Look around for opportunities to pray for other. A friend of mine taught her little boy that whenever he sees the flashing lights and hears the blaring sirens of an ambulance or fire truck, that it means "help is on the way." And in that instance, she leads him in a simple prayer for the unknown person in need.

Let's look at emergency vehicles in the same manner. And when we pray, we can trust in that saying, that "help is on the way!"

(c) 2007 Kathy Carlton Willis