My phone rang and I glanced down to see who was calling. It was one of my daughters. Immediately, a smile came to my face and I answered.

I know she could hear in my weary voice that evening that it had been a long, rough day, maybe even week. But her voice was like soothing medicine, gently warming my heart and calming my mind. I don’t remember the conversation or why I was so drained, but the love I felt from my “little girl” was enough to keep me going. 

My wife had mouthed words to me, asking if it was this particular daughter (we have three) on the call. She smiled when I nodded, and after the call asked me, “Did she tell you I asked her to call?” She had not. 

My wife confessed she knew that my spirit would benefit from hearing the voice of one of my children I don’t see or get to talk to daily, and had reached out to see if one of them would mind giving their dad a call. I guess she knows me pretty well.

As I left a weekly men’s breakfast and Bible study time this morning, having spent time with good friends who are men of God, my friend JT came to mind. JT and I have been friends for 35 years or more. We’re former classmates, roommates, ministry partners, etc., and J has been a true brother to me. We used to talk every single day. That’s been difficult and just plain different for several years, and we’re physically separated by roughly 200 miles. 

So when I do get to see him or talk with him, it’s special. 

This morning, my thoughts were simple, just something along the lines of, “I miss J. I hope he’s doing well. I need to talk to him soon.”

Almost exactly three hours later, my phone buzzed with a text from him. For about an hour, off and on, we texted back and forth. It did my spirit good to have that, and I could see his face, hear his voice and laugh, even if it was just in my head.

I had not mentioned him to my wife today, and she didn’t call him and ask him to reach out to me. But one Person heard my wish to speak with him. And God made it happen. 

I guess He knows me pretty well.

I know that doesn’t always happen. I’m kind of glad, too. I mean, I’d freak out if every time a person crossed my mind, they called or texted me, or I saw them somewhere. What if I kept thinking about escaped serial killers, for example? Mercy. 

But for moments like that — talking with my baby girl (who’s in her 20’s and a mom now) or texting with my lifelong friend — I am so deeply thankful. I hope I don’t ever take them for granted. 

I have had a personal “policy” for many years: If someone crosses my mind unexpectedly, no matter who it is, I say a short prayer for them. The fleeting thought could have originated from anything, but what if it’s God’s Spirit nudging me to pray for them? So I do. If they linger on my mind, I try to send them a message, give them a call, etc., to see how they are, touch base with them, encourage them, or just remind them that they are important to someone else. 

I want to be sensitive to the Spirit more than to my ADHD brain, and I’m grateful for others that are sensitive to a voice that tells them I need to hear from them. 

News Editor Brett Campbell can be reached at brett.campbell@dailyleader.com.