When my husband’s father and his wife were visiting us over the summer they got into a spat that dragged me in too. One remark led to another, and I found myself saying things I wished I hadn’t. By the time my in-laws returned to Florida, they had patched things up, but I was on the outs with them.
I wanted to apologize, but instead of picking up the phone I invariably put it off. They probably don’t want to talk to me anyway, I rationalized. But the truth was I couldn’t work up the courage to dial their number. Months went by and I did nothing except pray for guidance.
Then one day I was on the phone with a friend when a number flashed across my brand-new Caller ID screen. It was my in-laws! Was there something wrong? Was it an emergency?
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I cut short my conversation and rang Florida the moment we hung up. My father-in-law answered.
“I’m so glad to talk to you,” I blurted out at the sound of his voice. “I’ve been meaning to call and tell you how sorry I am for what happened.” Soon we were laughing and joking, and then his wife got on. Apologies and explanations flew across the wires.
“Thanks for calling me,” I finally said. “I just couldn’t get up the nerve to contact you myself.”
“What do you mean?” my father-in-law asked. “I didn’t call. We just got in when the phone rang, and it was you.”
I’d thought Caller ID existed so I wouldn’t miss important calls. I didn’t know it would be used to help me make one.
For another true story about the “mysterious” behavior of Caller ID, check out Lisa Brinkworth’s story on our Mysterious Ways Facebook Page!