Nearly a year ago, I received a phone call from an old coworker and friend I had not spoken to for several years. It had been so long I was surprised to see their name pop up on my caller ID.
The conversation began lighthearted, with lots of details about all the ways our lives had changed since we last saw one another, but soon the individual began telling me about frustrations and disappointments they had been dealing with, from work to personal life. We ended up talking for over an hour. Eventually, I asked if I could pray for them.
Over the past year we have text back and forth a couple times and had one or two short phone calls. Several days ago they text me asking if we could catch up so we set up a phone call for the following day.
Like any call, we started by just talking about our lives, but the individual soon told me they wanted to talk because they had something to tell me.
“When I called you a year ago, I was in a bad place,” they said. “The Lord put it on my heart to call you,” they paused. “I feel like I can tell you this now since I am in a much better place, but that day I called you I had multiple thoughts of suicide.”
My stomach dropped.
“After our prayer and conversation things really started to change for me,” another pause. “I’m thankful you picked up or you may have heard about me on the news.”
I knew when they called a year ago there was a reason God put me on their heart, but honestly hearing those words shook me. Even now, days later, tears prick my eyes at the thought of that individual feeling so low, so sad, so hopeless, that they would consider taking their life.
I don’t know what I said or did while working with this person to have made enough of an impact to be the one they called in their moment of need, but I thank GOD I was put in their life. I thank God He used me to be a light in the midst of someone’s darkness, to point back towards the Father and to be a voice that helped lead them to the other side.
I thank God my name came to the mind of my friend and that I was open to allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through me and give them the words they needed to pull themselves up and out of their pit of despair.
Our conversation has really impacted me. It has made me think about the people in my life who may need a phone call, a text, a prayer. It has made me want to be more aware of those around me who may be silently struggling, who may be grappling with darkness they are embarrassed or scared to admit.
We never know what others are going through but what that call showed me is that when we try to love like Jesus, He will use us in ways we may not know or fully understand.
God places us in people’s lives for a reason, has us feel a pull to certain individuals, puts words in our minds and prayers in our hearts.
God does the brunt of the work, all we have to do is be willing to listen and brave enough to act.
Thank God for my friend’s life and for the power of prayer that can break a captive free.
May we all be sensitive to the still small voice of our Father. You never know when your phone will ring, and someone will need you to be the light God has called you to be.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up”
-1 Thessalonians 5:11
A Woman Standing 