I read this beautiful article in the Peoria Journal about a lady who received a wrong number phone call. The caller said, “Hi, how are you?” and when the woman said, “Not so good,” the caller asked if she could pray for her and she did. The call ended with the woman stating, “I just hope when you get the wrong number again, God lets it be mine.”
I’ve often dialed wrong numbers but I have never asked to pray for anyone. In fact, I’ve quickly apologized and hung up. Imagine the difference I could have made if I had taken a moment to ask, “How are you?” Perhaps God was opening a window and I just slammed it shut.
I’ve been thinking about those random meetings and phone calls lately when you cross paths with a stranger or a caller. Then, this morning my friend posted the hysterical Carol Burnett episode that she did with Tim Conway, titled “Wrong Number.”
If you have never watched it, I encouraged you to spend a few minutes watching it here.
A very jealous Burnett begins to ask Conway if the wrong number is a “signal.” I won’t spoil the outcome because you should watch it for yourself and enjoy some good old fashioned humor. Carol Burnett was hysterical and I miss enjoying those Carol Burnett shows.
Back to the wrong numbers and chance encounters, I recall a wrong number that my grandmother received many moons ago. It went something like this,
Grandmother: “Hello”
Caller, “Hi, is Ethel there?”
Grandmother: “No, Ethel is at her house.”
Caller, “Is Ethel okay?”
Grandmother: “She was okay when I spoke to her this afternoon. Why?”
Caller, “I just wanted to make sure she was alright. Bob died you know?”
Grandmother: “Who is Bob?”
Caller, “Bob? He’s her dead husband.”
Grandmother: “Does Norman know?”
Caller, “Who is Norman?”
Grandmother: “Her current husband.”
Caller, “I must have the wrong number.”
Grandmother: “Do you want Ethel’s number?”
We laughed about that for years. Wrong numbers. They lead us to strangers and sometimes there is ‘signal’ involved and sometimes it is just God opening a window.
If you didn’t watch Carol Burnett and Tim Conway, I’ll give you a second chance. It really is worth it. Click here.
Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9gqQYuipF7U#!
http://www.pjstar.com/features/randomacts/x948305274/Wrong-number-caller-is-just-right-after-all