The Call Light

 In the hospital, every patient has a call light to summon help.  The call light is one of the greatest tools for caregivers. The sound it makes is also one of the greatest irritants for caregivers. Even though I am retired, I can still hear the call lights in my head.

It is funny how call lights work. Patients either use them or they don’t. Some seemed to be trying to set a record for how many times they could press that button, and others would not use them even in the most dire circumstances.  

It was not uncommon for our patients to send a family member to the desk when they needed something. However, the family member often didn’t know what the patient needed. This meant the nurse had to first go to the room, ask the patient what she needed, procure whatever it was, and return to the room with the item. I will confess this frustrates nurses greatly.

I used to show my patients the call light and explain that this was the best way to contact me. I also explained that sending their families to the desk could delay their getting the things they needed since I might not be at the desk at that time. They would nod in agreement and then apparently forget every word I said.

I wish I could have convinced my patients that just by touching that button, I would appear and be happy to help them with whatever they needed. In fact, I reminded them I was getting paid to do just that. I even told them they could push the button just to see if I would come when they called. Several did just that.

It’s a great invention, isn’t it?  A magic button we can push to speak to someone who can take care of our needs.  A way to reach someone who desires for us to have everything we need and be perfectly content.

As Christians, we all have a “call light.”  We can immediately reach Someone who can take care of our every need, Someone who desires the very best for our lives, and Someone who loves us more than our human minds can ever imagine. 

He waits and desires for us to turn our attention to Him.  He cares about our every need, our every desire, our every thought.  But sometimes, we just don’t avail ourselves of Him, like the patient who will not use the call light.  Sometimes, we may ask others to pray for us when we have yet to seek the Lord in prayer ourselves. The one difference though, is we can never use our prayer-call light too much in the Lord’s sight. He never tires of hearing our call light...our voice.

So let us remember that He is waiting, listening, caring, and loving us.

“Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee 

great and might things, which thou knowest not.”

Jeremiah 33:3