The Phone Call by Edward Tooley

The audience sat in silence when the speaker named John finished his message. The stillness was not the awkward type, but more of the stunned variety. It took a moment or two for the audience of about a thousand teenagers and faculty to regain focus. Then a smattering of clapping began and built until the room was filled with applause. I had a bird’s eye view of this event as I happened to be seated near the top of the auditorium.

The students had gathered for a weekly chapel service. At these events, teachers were responsible for making sure students were on their best behavior. It was obvious from the beginning that this would not be difficult. The entire student body was engrossed with the speech right from the start.

So, what did John say that left us in such a daze? His message focused on how miracles can occur at the most unlikely times and places. John highlighted his message by recounting a story that happened while he was in college. He explained how the students in the dorm where he lived had to share one pay telephone located in the lobby. I guess you could call it a community phone. The story, of course, took place back in the day before cell phones. I noticed a few students reacting in disbelief as if this must have taken place hundreds of years ago, but back to the story. John pointed out there were times when a long line of students was waiting to make their nightly call. He got a chuckle from the crowd when he said that many of the calls were made to parents asking for much-needed money.

Periodically, this community phone would ring asking for a particular student. Most of the time, the student in question was eagerly waiting by the phone and would immediately answer the call. On some occasions, the phone would ring waiting for someone to answer. John made it known that if you picked up a random call, you then would have to locate the person. This could take much valuable time and energy, so students normally avoided picking up these calls.

One day while John was picking up his mail on a rather uneventful day, the phone rang. And you guessed it, no one was waiting to answer the phone. John ignored the rings until they stopped. He sat down in the lobby for a brief moment to read his mail when the phone rang again. This time John thought of sneaking out of the lobby and letting someone else answer it. He was not in the mood to go searching high and low for the person in question. John changed his mind at the last moment and picked up the phone. This is where the miracle begins. The caller asked for a student named Pete who happened to be living at the far end of the building. John reluctantly said he would go and alert the student that he had a call. John recalled that he moaned and groaned all the way to Pete’s room for making what he felt was a foolish decision. He finally arrived at Pete’s door and knocked.

John knocked a few times with no answer. GREAT, he thought. If the student was not there, he would have to go all the way back to the lobby and inform the caller. For good measure, John knocked again and was just about to leave when the door opened abruptly. There stood Pete, a ginormous specimen of a man with a head full of unruly hair. He had a scowl on his face and seemed very displeased about being interrupted. In a rather disrespectful manner, Pete asked John, “what do you want?”

John wanted to reply with a sarcastic remark but wisely decided against it, mainly because Pete was a behemoth of a man. John calmly replied as properly as he could that Pete had a phone call. Pete shut the door without even saying thanks. It was at this time that many of us in the audience thought John had finished his message. Some of the students had puzzled looks on their faces wondering what the point of his story was. But John was not finished. He only paused to take a deep breath, like he was still deeply impacted by what happened. He continued the story by mentioning that a few days had passed when a friend of Pete’s named Matt asked to speak with him. John thought nothing of it at the time but began to suspect something was up when Matt asked if they could talk in private. They found a quiet place where Matt broke the news. Matt first asked John if he remembered the day, he came to Pete’s room to inform him about a phone call. John, of course. remembered as he shook his head in affirmation. Matt went on to say that just before John arrived at Pete’s room, Pete was preparing to end his life. “In fact,” Matt said, “your knock on the door came just in the nick of time.” Pete ended up changing his mind thinking this interruption was a sign from God not to go through with it. Matt said that John’s interruption saved the life of his good friend. By this time, the auditorium was motionless. We sat there like statues, not wanting to make a sound to disrupt the moment. I think that some of us in attendance had to remind ourselves to breathe.

John was glad he was sitting down when Matt told him the news. He even mentioned that his hands began to shake. John thought for just a moment what the outcome would have been if he ignored the phone call and went about his daily business. These thoughts were interrupted when Matt finished saying that Pete was now home getting much-needed treatment and help. John completed his message by reminding students that even the smallest kindness to others can have a huge impact. Sometimes even a miracle will take place.

When class began after chapel, it was obvious that John’s story made a major impression on the students. It had such a profound impact that I felt it necessary to set aside some class time to discuss the message. Some students shared personal stories involving an ordinary event that turned out extraordinary. Our discussion went on longer than I had planned, but it was obvious that it had more value and meaning than the lesson I had prepared. Students agreed that God performs miracles in a variety of ways. They agreed that there are no small miracles because it takes something much bigger than ourselves to make them happen. Miraculous events happen more often than we realize. If only we would be more vigilant in our surroundings, maybe we would witness more of these unexplainable occurrences.

There is no doubt that hearing about or taking part in the miraculous truly has an indelible impact on our lives.

Edward Tooley

Edward Tooley has had numerous articles published about education, adolescence, parenting, creation, and Christian Living. His work has also been featured in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Edward’s first book for children, Rounding Third and Headed for Home, is written in rhyme and is based on a true story of perseverance. Edward’s second book for children was just released and is a fictional account based on a true story of hope and a miracle. The Lighthouse/El Faro is a dual language book - both English and Spanish on the same page.

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