Once upon a time not so long ago I got a call from a woman who was having some tests run the next day. I called to get our prayer chain started, and person by person the concern was passed down the line. Then I called her in a panic because I hadn't heard this news, but of course, she was fine, in fact the tests had turned out well. I believe prayer makes a difference, but occasionally we've had a few missing links on the prayer chain, if you know what I mean.
Communication is a tricky business.
We have learned to be more careful, to be precise. Otherwise, it can be like the old game of rumor where the story gets tweaked and embellished with each call until it's a completely different story when it reaches the end of the line. We are a storied people. That was before the days of a television in every room where we let corporate commercialism and Hollywood values tell us our stories now. But still, at the family table on holidays or maybe Wednesday night fellowship dinners at the church or even gatherings to say farewell to someone we loved, we share the stories of our past, funny stories, poignant stories, stories of disaster and success.