The Loneliest Phone Booth

A few years ago I was involved with a ministry where (for a time) I saw little in the way of lasting fruit. It was very discouraging. At times I would ask God, "Is this it. Is this all there is? Have I done something to displease you?" Everyone who serves God gets a little discouraged from time to time. But it's not about what we desire, or think, or feel, or perceive, or even experience. It's never about us and our timing. It's always about God and His timing. 

We find a great lesson about this in the book of Exodus. Moses spent the first 40 years of his life being trained and educated in Pharaoh's court. He became a somebody. Then he spent the next 40 years in the desert being humbled. He became a nobody. After being trained and humbled, he spent the last 40 years leading the Israelites. He had become God's somebody.

It's like the story of the loneliest phone booth. 

A PacBell phone booth was place in the middle of the Mojave desert for use by miners in the 60's. It was 8 miles from the nearest paved road and was most likely put there for emergency uses.

Photo: Lara Hartley, Desert Dispatch

For many years after the miners were long gone, it was all but forgotten. One might even say that it was on the "outs." The windows were shot out; the light was busted out; the booth was rusting out; time seemed to have run out. But the phone still worked . . . and waited.

photo: Azfoo.net

A gentleman who heard about it called the number (760.733.9969), and a person actually answered the phone. The man who called the number wrote an article which made the lonely phone booth instantly popular on the internet. It went to cult status! People camped at the phone just to answer calls - calls that came from all over the world. One man camped there 32 days and answered over 500 calls. At some point someone put a book in the booth to log the calls. It was an exciting and useful time for the old phone booth. However, park officials became increasingly concerned about the effect of all the visitors on the park, so they had PacBell remove the phone in 2000.

Photo: Lara Hartley, Desert Dispatch

It was used early, had a dormant period, and was greatly used later - until its maker decided it had lived out its purpose. Cool story, and a great illustration of how God often works in our lives. 

I pray that this was as much of an encouragement to you as it was to me. God bless as you remain faithful. PM