Bad Reception

Bible Reading: Jeremiah 29:12-13; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Peter 3:12

“I can’t hear you, Grandma!” Tania exclaimed into the phone. Static hissed into her ear, releasing her grandmother’s voice in spurts: “Storm…after…call…”

“Grandma!” exclaimed Tania as the line went silent. “Daddy, Grandma’s in the middle of a storm!”

Dad placed his homemade bread on a cooling rack before tossing his oven mitts on the counter. He hurried over and took the phone. “Mom?” he asked. He dialed and listened again. Shaking his head, he disconnected the line. “The phone’s out.”

Tania’s lip trembled. “She said she’ll call after the storm…or maybe she wants me to call. I’m not sure what she meant. Some words were missing.” Tania blinked back tears. “We didn’t get to say goodbye.”

“She probably tried,” said Dad, taking Tania into his arms. “But you couldn’t hear because of the bad reception.” When Tania’s eyebrows furrowed into a puzzled expression, he added, “Bad reception happens when something interferes with the message, so you can’t hear it clearly or some words get blocked.”

“Should we call her again, Daddy?” asked Tania.

“I know it seems scary that Grandma can’t reach us, but let’s wait until the storm passes. It’s probably like the one on our last visit to her cottage, remember?”

Tania nodded. “The thunder was scary…and the lightning. Grandma made us hot cocoa.” She hugged her father. “I hope she’s okay.”

“Me too,” Dad replied. “Let’s pray for her.”

“Okay, but we’d better hurry,” Tania said, clasping her hands together. “What if the storm comes here and God can’t hear our prayers?”

“God always hears us. Even if our message gets jumbled the way Grandma’s words came out on the phone, God still understands what we’re trying to say.”

Tania raised her eyebrows. “No bad re…recep…”

“Reception?” Dad shook his head. “Never. The Bible tells us God knows what’s in our hearts before we even ask for it. Even when we don’t know what to pray for, our Father in heaven knows our needs and promises to help us.”

Tania smiled, and they started to pray. When they finished, Dad asked, “How about I make us sandwiches, and we’ll call Grandma after lunch?”

Tania’s stomach grumbled loudly.

“I heard you loud and clear,” said Dad, and they both laughed.

-Elena Dee

How About You?

Have you ever had trouble hearing someone over the phone? Did hearing only part of a conversation create a misunderstanding? Without the full message, it’s easy to be confused or get the wrong idea, but God always understands us, no matter what. He knows exactly what we need before we ask Him. Bring all your needs to Him in prayer. He hears you and promises to help.

Today’s Key Verse:
Matthew 6:8 (NKJV) For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Today’s Key Thought:

God hears you