There was quite a bit of excitement on our street earlier this week. We were finishing eating lunch as all appeared to be normal--when all of a sudden my son said there was a strange car pulling into our driveway. I hopped up to look, and here coming down the street was not one, but THREE fire engines--and they were joining several police cars and various other emergency vehicles already parked almost in front of our house. Since we live on a small dead end road, this type of activity is definately not the normal occurance!
As I stood gazing out the window, my eyes kept looking up and down the street--trying to somehow figure out what the trouble was. All still appeared as a sleepy little neighborhood, and I could see nothing wrong!
Finally, I watched as two firemen took a ladder off of the trucks and carried it over to the roof of one of our neighbors. As they climbed up and went over to check out the chimney, I realized that our neighbor must have had a chimney fire. The weather has been unusually cold for our area, and anyone who has a fireplace or woodstove in their home is using it to help suppliment the heat from the furnace--us included!
The interesting thing to me was that from the outside, all still appeared normal at our neighbor's house. Sure, I could see smoke coming out of their chimney, but there was smoke coming out of the chimney of almost every house on the street! There really wasn't anything showing on the outside of the house to indicate the very real problem that was smouldering on the inside.
I found out later that it was the neighbors BEHIND my neighbor who looked out their window and saw flames shooting out of that house's chimney, so they called 911. My neighbors did not even realize that their chimney was on fire! What if after the firemen arrived my neighbor had looked around inside his house and thought to himself--"All looks fine. I do not need anyone to help me."? Well, he very possibly could have lost his entire house, and he and his family's lives as well. No, he had a real emergency on his hands, even though all looked fine from certain view points. Fortunately, his back neighbor had the wisdom to call 911 and get the help that was needed, before it was too late. That person had a phone that worked--a connection with the 911 office--and he used it!
All of us who live in this world of sin are trapped in our own emergency. Oh yes, things may look just fine on the outside, and maybe even look fine from our view on the inside. But there is definately trouble smouldering. But we are not without hope--we have a connection that will bring us help--if we are willing to ask for it. Do you know how to call for help? It's 1-800-PRAYER.
In the book "Steps to Christ" p. 93-95 Ellen White writes this:
"Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God's heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy;. and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.
The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the priviledges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?"
Calling 911. Calling 1-800-PRAYER. Are we keeping our lines connected each day? Are we trying to handle things in our lives on our own, without the help that God is waiting and wanting to give us? Calling 911 may be the occasional phone call in our lives. But calling 1-800-PRAYER, needs to be the daily call in our lives. Every day, all day long. Don't try your day without it!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch the very smart kitties never left their spot curled up next to the fire!
