Heeding the Call

My last night in Tucson, I was ready for bed when sister Amy told me, "Quick, listen outside! The coyote are going crazy!"
We rushed to open the door and could see nothing in the deep darkness of the nightdraped Sonora desert. However, coyotes from every corner of the world seemed to have converged in the near expanse outside the door. They yipped and howled in a crescendoing call. A lone dog barked in the distance. We quickly brought in my niece's dog.
"Will coyote kill a dog?" I asked.
"If they are in a pack, they will," my nephew said.
"Why are they making such a racket?"
"They are calling to each other," he said.
They were gathering, with the strength for whatever coyote do in the deep darkness of night.

I thought of this past week and a half in Tucson, helping my sister recover from pancreatitis, and then helping her move in to her new house. She is a giver, not a taker, and thus had not asked for help. Still, anyone with ears can hear the call of their fellow sojourners if they are listening.

We should all be listening. Listen for the call of those around us who need the "pack" to brave the cold desert night...but most importantly, listen for the call of the One who provided the pack in the first place. It is unmistakable when the world falls dark and silent -- a terror if one is alone, but a comfort when we are huddled with one another.

As suddenly and explosively as the coyotes had erupted into song, they fell silent. Those who had not gathered at the call would have trouble finding them now in the endless black desert. Heed the  call while we can!

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God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9