Every so often I receive what we have dubbed a “pocket call” from our oldest son.
You see, our son, Chuck, who attends school in Colorado Springs, texts me every morning on his way to school.
We have cryptic “conversations” though text messaging. Sometimes we simply update each other on the weather in our part of Colorado. Other times, we delve into pretty deep subjects. We always end the “conversation” the same way.
“Welp, have a nice day! Love you.”
“Love you, son, have a blessed day.”
Then a lot of times I get a smiley face from him, as I did this morning.
Then about once a week at some point in the middle of the morning my phone starts to play Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.” That is the ringer that is exclusive to my children on my phone.
Since mine was the last number punched into Chuck’s phone, when he inadvertently hits just the right button while his phone is resting in his pants pocket, that pocket calls me.
I answer and can hear a teacher or other students talking faintly in the background, accompanied by a swishy noise every time he moves his leg. I say, “Hello, Chuck’s pocket. Thanks for calling. Tell Chuck I am loving him. Bye.” The joke never gets old for me.
The last time I visited with Chuck’s pocket, I thought it was good to hear from him — even if it was very silly. It affirmed that we did have a talk that morning. Deep or superficial, we made very important contact with each other. Then his pocket tells me he is OK, in class, and plugging along in his day.
Every prayer we utter is not a masterpiece like the Prayer of St. Francis. Sometimes we are very superficial with God. Sometimes, we have deep, deep issues to work out with the Almighty. The daily — habitual — contact with the Lord is what is important. Other times, we don’t even mean to make contact with Jesus, but we just do, because He is with us.
I think God likes it when we talk to Him about essential stuff and simple stuff going on in our lives. I think God smiles when we pray for five or six straight minutes or just quickly say, “Thank you God for giving us this food.”
You can make your own pocket call to the Lord. Put something in your pocket that you may touch every so often — it can even be your cell phone. Like my wife, Kim, you can have an alarm that goes off at a certain time each day to remind you to say hello to Jesus.
When you do, make a pocket call to God. Simply remember that you are in his presence and He is listening to you.
Matthew 6:6-13 (NIV) 6 “When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. He will reward you. Your Father sees what is done secretly. 7 “When you pray, do not keep talking on and on the way ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him. 9 “This is how you should pray. “‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your kingdom come. May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted. Save us from the evil one.’
The Rev. Steve Nofel is co-pastor of Montezuma Valley Presbyterian Church.