Was it a surprising coincidence or a "small miracle" _ a mystifying moment in time when it seems two lives have been brushed with heaven's touch?
It happened to me on a typically cold January morning almost a decade ago when an unexpected call jingled my cell phone _ one that would ordinarily have been silent in the awakening gray.
This slower approach to each day was now the "new normal" because of my breast cancer journey. I had chosen a more holistic lifestyle, stepping away from my demanding television career. Early hours were reserved for a steaming mug of coffee, quiet time and a relaxed newspaper read.
But while perusing the headlines, a strong thought began to nudge about turning on my phone prematurely; a gentle whisper vibrating in my heart. As if in answer, I reluctantly moved from the comfy couch to retrieve my cell, leaving the warm, woven throw behind.
As the screen brightened in the dimly lit bedroom, I couldn't help but note the huge numbers announcing the hour. Much too early for a woman not ready for telephone calls about the upcoming television show I was producing.
"Why am I turning on my cell phone so early?" I grumbled to myself as I returned to the printed page. "I'm not even finished reading the newspaper yet."
Not to mention a second cup of coffee.
Settling back into my morning routine, I put my phone within arm's reach.
What happened next wasn't particularly exceptional. Someone rang my cell at 8 o'clock. But what was extraordinary was that I had it on and nearby.
The voice at the other end was filled with emotion, offering first an apology for calling early. But within moments of our hello, Kristi Privette's story poured out in a river of grief, revealing she had been diagnosed with breast cancer ... again. Her words sank into the depth of my being _ a cold fear I so intimately understood.
We cried. We shared. I listened.
And then as she was about to hang up, she told me how much more at peace she felt, adding another apology for calling earlier than she thought she should.
"No worries!" I said, reassuringly. "I usually don't have my cell phone on until much later, but I turned it on at 7:25 this morning."
She gasped.
Excitedly, she went on to tell me that when she had been in prayer that morning, she had told God how terribly overwhelmed she felt. And that's when a quiet thought had brushed across her heart.
"Call Lucy."
"I glanced at my watch," Kristi told me, her voice racing with joy, "but it was 7:25 and too early to call. And even though the thought kept nudging me, I waited until 8 o'clock."
But at 7:25 that morning, I was ready to answer ... and that was a "small miracle."
Isaiah 65:24 "I will answer them before they can even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!" (NLT)
