When it comes to telephones, things sure have changed since I was a kid listening in on the party line. For instance, I recall the day when our party line constituency went from six to two – talk about a sense of privacy! Now, just one person or household has the ability to listen in on our conversations. (Of course, that also meant our sources of local news decreased). No more cranking, no more interruptions and no more getting chewed out if we talked too long.

After I got married and moved two provinces away, I so missed my regular conversations with Mom. I admit that for years I lived with a slight twinge of resentment that I was only allowed to call her a few times a year. Letters were great but with small children and a lot of other responsibilities, they were few and far between and they simply didn’t replace the sound of her voice. Recently I discovered a number of receipts, including a forty year old phone bill. I’d never been told that back then a phone call cost $2.50 per minute. Had I known, I’d have found it easier to accept.

As I’ve already said – things sure have changed. Between my work as a market researcher and my frequent calls to family and friends across North America, my monthly phone bill can run as high as 1,000 minutes per month and the cost is less than one of those rare conversations I used to have with Mom.

The worth of a call to a shut-in, to someone who’s struggling or to someone who deserves a “thank you” means more than any company charges.

“Congenial conversation—what a pleasure! The right word at the right time—beautiful!” Proverbs 15:23 (The Message)

Pray for those in need – and maybe you should phone them.