Panic Button

Last night my mother fell again. She is 87 and is unable to get back into bed from the floor. She lives in a cottage on the same property as my brother, sister-in-law and nephew.

In February, after the third fall, my brother started investigating a panic button device that my Mom could wear around her neck if anything happens to her and the family is not around. It is monitored by a security company and they will contact a member of the family if it’s a simple matter or send an ambulance if it is more serious. Last time my brother didn’t hear the phone call and they sent an ambulance.

I got the call at 1.30am. They had tried to phone my brother and got no reply. I explained I am in Randburg and my mother is in Gqeberha but I would try to contact my nephew which I did and Mom was soon back in bed.

Yesterday my husband read a section in his devotional guide of how God sometimes impresses on people to pray for somebody. There were accounts of how Christians had felt an urge to pray for somebody specific and how they had later found out what danger or trouble that person had been in. Sometimes we will be woken in the middle of the night with a burden to pray.

It is something like my mother’s panic button. Our Father has a whole network of people on whom He can call to pray when there is a need. We should take these promptings seriously and act immediately. We might never know the cause, or the result, but God’s panic button will bring help.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1 NIV)

My Prayer

Lord, I have committed my life to You. That includes my time. When You call on me, may I not be spiritually asleep or too distracted with my own life to heed your call. Please make me sensitive to Your whispers. Amen.