Grab your phone.  Hold it in your hand.  Who do you need to call?  Whose the first person to come to your mind?  Who’s that person that you have told yourself, “I should call them”.

Now do it.  Call them.  Dial their number.  Select their contact from your list in your phone.

I know what will happen next.  It often happens to me.  My mind floods with excuses.  What if I catch them at a bad time?  It’s been so long since I’ve called, will they be upset with me?  What if this lasts longer than I have available in my schedule?  What if I get an answering machine?  What if…what if…what if?

Too often, I must admit that I left the “what ifs” get in my way.  I set the phone back down.  I let the thought run through my mind.  I may add the name to my task list of things to do; often to roll from day to day to day.  Many times it doesn’t even make to my list, but goes into my mental “should” box.  You know those things I “should” eventually get around to doing.

Do you know my 12 year old son convicted me of this not that long ago?  He told me “Mom, we need to stop using the word should.  We need to either do it or not do it.  Should just isn’t a good word.”  Ahhhh, from the mouths of babes comes great wisdom, wisdom that usually kicks me in the butt.

In reality, I’ve never had anyone tell me that they were really upset that I took the time to call them.  I’ve never heard that they didn’t want to hear from me.  So often I am told by the receiver they were glad I called.  I’ve even been told, that my call has been a blessing.  All I did was pick up the phone, I sacrificed such a short amount of time.  Yet the impact was so great.

I know the impact.  I have been on the receiving end of the gift of the call.  When the circumstances of life have been crashing down upon me like waves.  Yet there was a voice of a kind and caring friend on the other end of the line, reaching out and reminding me that I am not alone.

Let’s not wait.  Let’s pick up the phone, make a difference and make the call.