Using Our Call Button

I am home now! We had a wonderful vacation and it was so fun to see three of my daughters and ten of my grandchildren! The best part is that we completely missed the huge snow storm. Today the sun is brightly shining on a colorful spring world. Who could ask for anything more?While we were gone one of my two Utah grandchildren, five-year-old Eli, became very sick and was hospitalized because he was so dehydrated. His nurse explained to him that if there was anything he needed all he had to do was push the button with the nurse emblem on it and she would help him.

For the next while he eagerly eyed that “magic” button but refrained from pushing it. Then, while his mother was on the telephone, he reached over and pushed it. “What can I do for you?” a voice asked, and Eli replied, “Would you please bring me a surprise.” So she did. She brought him a little, silver car to play with.

I laughed about that when I first heard it, but since then I’ve thought more seriously about it. There’s a lesson in there for me. Our Father in Heaven has repeatedly instructed us that “whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matt 21:22). We always have a “button” that we can “push” and ask for whatever we need even if it is as trivial as a “surprise.” The Lord loves us and nothing is too menial or trivial to take to Him. We don’t even need to wait until we need something to pray for. Some of the most empowering prayers occur when we simply express our thanks to God for the things He has given and done for us or when we talk over the experiences of our day with Him as we would a good friend.

Prayer connects us to God just as the hospital button connected Eli to the nurse, and God hears and answers our prayers just as the nurse heard and responded to Eli.