Sometimes You Just Need to Follow THE URGE!
As busy mornings go, mine was no exception. Since I work from home, the fax machine and both phones were already in full swing in the downstairs office. Page after page plopped into the tray as my printer hummed along.
Although I was engrossed in my work, I was aware of music and a steady drumming rhythm that synced with my printer as the guy next door cleaned his car. Then, a couple of sirens echoed somewhere in the distance.
Flyers and other advertising materials came to life on my color printer in the upstairs bedroom, while the black-and-white printer downstairs cranked out the study guides.
I was up and down those stairs all morning! Great exercise!
My growling stomach sent me back down to the kitchen. Lunch time already?
While I was rummaging in the fridge, something pressed my thoughts in the background. I couldn’t shake it. I call those feelings, “The Urge”. No, not the rock band….and nothing to do with a commercial.
Maybe it’s short for URGENT. But this I know, when the Holy Spirit puts it there, I MUST follow it! Although, I haven’t always followed them as I should, but I’m getting better and better everyday.
My prayer is that God keeps me in practice so that if it is ever a life-and-death situation, I’m on it without delay!
The URGE was to go back upstairs. Why? In my head, I reviewed everything I’d done that morning and couldn’t figure it out.
Up the stairs I shot, anyway!
Looking around, I could see nothing out of order, but a sudden, weird flash of light caught my attention.
From my second floor window, I can see behind my house into neighbor’s yards. Something was happening in one of the homes.
Hurrying to my bedroom window where I could have a better look, I noticed emergency vehicles. EMT’s were carrying a stretcher. The door to the house was open. People were coming in and out of the house. Prayer immediately tumbled from my lips.
The home was small and, apparently, the construction of the carport and the angle of the entrance to the home prevented the crew from getting the stretcher inside. Loud yelling summoned four strong guys! I continued to pray.
Some one dashed to a nearby shed, retrieving a large transport chair. By now it had been over ten minutes. Something was up.
What could cause the delay? I kept up the prayer. Some of the EMT’s made frustrated gestures to each other. As I opened my window, I heard,
“I can’t” one yelled. “We can’t, it won’t go!”
Just then, other EMTs emerged in the doorway with a very large man slumped over in the wheelchair. They struggled, and the man in the chair was not able to help.
Back inside they pulled and pushed the chair and the man. My prayer continued and I asked God to give them wisdom. Finally they repositioned, and were able to maneuver him, and the chair, backwards out of the house to the small, flat section of porch where a gurney was waiting.
Yikes! The man’s physical size, and the dimensions of his home, caused delays that wasted precious time. I didn’t know what could be wrong, but I knew I was to stay and pray. Finally, the man roused a bit as they continued to struggle, but the oxygen seemed to be helping.
That was all I could see. Evidentially, they got him into the ambulance and they were off, sirens blaring.
No, I do not know those particular neighbors. In fact, until that day, I have never even seen them. Their big tree used to block any view, but since it was recently removed, I had a straight line of vision that day.
I stood there for a while just staring.
I found myself thinking of all the times God is there helping us even when we don’t see it. I mused about His Great Love!
I felt humbled to be used, and was glad I went with my gut.
The bottom line? Sometimes you just need to Follow The Urge!
Update: During another completely separate situation involving our lost cat who went over the fence, I managed to run into the son of the guy who had the heart attack. He filled me in. I was able to share with him that I had seen everything from my window and had prayed over the situation. The kid just stood there wide-eyed, shaking his head. He admitted that it must have helped because his dad was fine now!