‘Call unto me and I will answer you’

Do you own a cell phone? Seems like we can’t do without this piece of 21st century technology. They’re a great convenience when used appropriately, but can be a safety hazard if we’re not careful. How many wrecks have occurred because the driver was talking on the phone instead of watching the road? Or attempting to text message and drive at the same time?

There are times, however, when cell phones have been a life saver. Several years ago a woman abducted and left for dead in the woods of Cherokee County called 911 using her cell phone. She told the 911 operators when the state patrol helicopter was directly over her. The pilot hovered until rescuers finally found her.

In May 2002, Leonardo Diaz, a Columbian hiker, decided to do some serious mountain climbing with friends. Their goal was to reach the summit of the Nevado del Ruiz, a volcano in the Andes.

On the second day of the climb, a major blizzard hit. Diaz lost sight of his friends and became separated from them. Although not initially worried, the novice climber soon began to run out of rations and suffer from the bitter cold.

Although he had his cell phone in his backpack, his pre-paid minutes had already expired. With no signal for help, Diaz realized he was not going to make it. As he lay in the frigid snow preparing to die, his cell phone rang. It was a phone solicitor in Bogota wanting to know if Diaz was interested in purchasing more minutes!

“We called him to remind him that his cell phone was out of minutes,” said Maria del pilar Bastos of Bell South. “He said it was the work of an angel, because he was lost in the Andes.”

Diaz described his location to the caller and asked that his family be notified so they could dispatch a rescue team. The Bell South operators, who could tell from the sound of his voice that hypothermia had already begun to set, called Diaz every 30 minutes to keep him awake and to maintain his hope of survival. Seven hours later, rescuers arrived.

That was one time a telemarketer’s call was welcomed.

Mark Ashton-Smith was kayaking off of England’s coast when the seas got rough and he capsized. He was able to grab his kayak and hang on for dear life. He reached for his cell phone and his first impulse was to call his father. His father, a military officer, was training British troops 3,500 miles away.

Mark’s father’s phone rang, he heard the distress in his son’s voice and relayed his son’s mayday call to the nearest Coast Guard Post, which was less than a mile away. Within 12 minutes of capsizing in the water, he was plucked from that water by a Coast Guard helicopter.

What is your first response when danger comes? We should immediately call our heavenly Father, who invites us to “Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you know not,” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Have you called on God lately? God is waiting to hear from you, and He welcomes your call and wants to spend time with you. What about now?

Dr. David L. Chancey is pastor, McDonough Road Baptist Church, Fayetteville. The church family meets at 352 McDonough Road and invites you for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m. this Sunday. Visit them on the web at www.mcdonoughroad.org. Also, join them for Vacation Bible School June 9-13. Call 770-460-5423 for more information.