I Have A Bad Reputation!
It’s True, I have a bad reputation.
My friends in the neighborhood all know about me. My family has known for a long time. I have an issue.
Sometimes I catch an off-hand word about my peculiarity or a casual remark in conversations in the yard or at church. I know I should change.
So today I will confess. My name is Lynn Donovan and I don’t answer the phone.
I know this must be a strange confession. I assure you, I am not afraid to answer to phone. I am not suffering from a bizzar phobia. I am not lazy nor a procrastinator. I just don’t answer the phone when it rings.
In my defense, this odd behavior is likely due to the extreme time demands on my schedule. If I pick up the phone you can bet I will talk your head off for at least an hour. (I wasn’t voted the most talkative for nothing.) So, I try to call people back when I am free to give my entire focus to the person on the other end. With that said my local friends are sick and tired of hearing the answering machine…. Hello, this is the Donovan’s and we are unable to answer the phone right now……..
Okay, I do feel bad about my poor etiquette but they love me despite my failures. 
With this confession made, the story I am about to tell takes on significance.
It is Wednesday morning and I just saw my son out the door following a great visit over the past couple of days.
I returned to my office after two days away and took in the scene. Post-it notes attached to everything including my computer, the half-written articles, 89 emails that need attention, and a redesign of our women’s ministry website were waiting. I am swamped. *sigh*
But it is all good and I know I can make a dent if I stay focused.
That’s when I hear, “Honey, can you come in here. I need help.” My husband was calling from his office. He recently arrived in the future. He finally became a Twitter regular and was struggling to get the Tweet Deck up on his computer. He had a ton of questions.
I left my office and went to help. My husband’s brain boggled. He was astounded that people would want to know what he was doing. Amazing what an online radio show will do. (A story for another day.) We sat at his computer for several minutes working out the kinks. I stood up, ready to return to my office and that’s when it happened.
Ring… ring…
Hubby glanced at caller ID, “Unknown caller.”
I don’t know what happened but I leaned over the desk and picked up the phone. Perhaps not a big deal but I NEVER pick up the phone, especially when I know it’s an unknown caller and NEVER, EVER in my husband’s office.
“Hello.”
On the other end was my dear friend, KK. She was in tears and completely distressed. I listened to her as she gave me some bad news. I listened and I held her with my words. We talked about scripture verses and finally I prayed with her over the phone.
I hung up.
I sat down in my untidy office and just thanked the Lord.
First, my friend is going to be okay.
Second, this call was my daily appointment.
Third, earlier that morning I had asked the Lord to arrange this appointment. Of course at the time, I didn’t know who it would be with.
Fourth, God prompted me to pick up the phone at that precise moment.
Every morning I ask the Lord for my daily appointment. Something I learned from Lysa Terkerst, Thanks Lysa.
Lord, allow me to intersect with that one person today who needs to be loved by You or encouraged by Your word.
I am utterly humbled the Lord answers my prayer and allows me to intersect with a life. Humbled that He finds this broken and very human woman, a person who can touch others with the love of Christ.
If you have never prayed to ask the Lord for your daily appointment, start today and be amazed how God will answer that prayer.
Have an awesome day and come back and leave me a comment me when your appointment shows up. To God be the glory, forever and ever. Be Blessed, Lynn
Find me daily at
You are so awesome my friend, love you.
I love those divine appointments Lynn. I often pray that I would be open and sensitive when one of those times comes. Sometimes, it ends up being a store clerk or like yesterday a young workman from the cable company who needed a listening ear and a piece of homemade blueberry coffee cake.
I too tend to not answer the phone unless I see it’s someone I want to talk to now. Otherwise, I call people back. I really don’t like IM either because it interrupts and I feel like I need to respond immediately. But there are times when I need to respond now and not in my good timing but God’s timing.
Thanks for this insightful post today. Love you friend.
Love,
Debbie
I don’t answer the phone either! My cell is on vibrate. Some days I just do not want to hear it ring. I also don’t like to answer when I’m doing things the my girls,etc. I call them back if they leave a message.
As for appointments, yes this has happened to me many times. It is wonderful when you realize what just happened!!! Keep on praying for neighbors to serve!! @susieqtpie
Love your honesty, my sweet friend. I don’t like to talk too much on the phone, but I think I still have an issue with a language barrier…insecurity, I guess…
Thank you for sharing your morning prayer with us 🙂
Lynn, Loved this post-hubby and I often fight over who has to answer in the evenings. I also don’t always like to talk on the phone so sometimes avoid certain callers. If I ever call you I’ll check first to see when is a good time. 😎
Have a blessed day!
This is one of the best blog posts I have ever read! Awesome! I sent the link to it to all my email buddies for them read.
Funny. I had the “answering the phone conversation” with my counselor today. I feel guilty when I don’t answer it and resentful when I do. Drawing healthy boundaries isn’t easy and doesn’t always come natural. But it’s like you said, it’s important to be able to give someone the focus and time a good conversation requires. Love the idea of God’s daily appointment.
PRECIOUS!!! Just like you! I will do the same from now on. Love this idea so much. What a wonderful post! Miss you!
I think that is an inspired prayer Lynn. Thank you for sharing it and your story. I will pray…
What a wonderful prayer to pray for an appointment, thanks for the encouragement!
I smiled when I read the first part of your post because I am often guilty of not answering the phone also then I praised God with you that you did answer the phone when your friend really needed you.
Well, at least now I know it’s not because you saw my name in the Caller I.D…. 😉 (grinning)….but what about the e-mails???? Are ya gonna answer???
(kidding)
I love you girl—and LOVE how the LORD works in your life! AND how you share His heart so freely to others!
What a great idea. I’m totally stealing it from you and Lysa. I constantly stand amazed at what He does. Then, I’m amazed that I’m amazed. I mean, really…He’s God. 😉
Just found your site from “Tackle It Tuesday.” Something happened to me recently that involves a phone and the prayer you mentioned.
I walk quite a lot on the high school track, most of it by myself because I walk for so long, and some of it with people I meet there. When alone, I listen to music (mostly spiritual) and pray. Lately, I’ve been asking God to show me my purpose and to make me an instrument of His love.
Last Sunday, a new friend and I were walking together. There was only one other person on the track. Suddenly we saw the other woman coming toward us, bent over, obviously in distress. I asked her if she was alright. She shook her head, “No.” Trying to catch her breath, she told us she had just been stung by a bee and was highly allergic. She needed me to call her husband to bring her Epi-pen.
This wouldn’t have been so unusual, except that, when I arrived at the track, I noticed my cell phone was dead. I didn’t really care about that much. I didn’t want to be interrupted, so I was going to just leave it that way. But, for some reason, I felt God nudging me to leave the van running and charge it up. I had just put it in my pocket before my friend came alone.
I was able to call the injured woman’s husband who brought her medicine and took her to the hospital. I called her later (thankfully cell phones have ‘memories’) to make sure she was all right. Sarah said she was OK and was so thankful that I had a phone that worked. There was no one else in sight and if I hadn’t charged the phone…
Sometimes we don’t know how the Lord will use us. He has been leading me in doing Comedy Christian Puppetry/Ventriloquism. I’ve been trying to make a site for it. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance and God bless!