When the siren sounds, just pray

We were in the middle of our Vesper Service on Saturday night when the sirens came blaring across the city. We were at Howard Brown Park and you could watch the fire trucks and ambulances pull out of their secluded spots and spring to life as they raced over the bridge and across the city.

After the service on of our members said that they had to hurry home. I asked why and they said that those rescue vehicles headed up to Laurel Hill and they wanted to make sure it wasn't their house on fire!

It is a funny story but how often do we think the same thing when we hear a siren. Our first thought is for those people we know and love. This morning I read about the flight to Australia that had an emergency landing. I stopped to listen because my first thoughts were of my daughter who was on route there 48 hours ago. After I did the math and realized she was safely on the ground, I moved on.

I have often thought that the thing we should do in those moments is pause and pray. We should pray for whoever is in need of service. We don't know them but God does. Thankfully he has sent the rescuers to bring assistance in their trials. While we are at it, we should pray for the ones who are on the way and ask God to bring them safely there and to give them the wisdom and knowledge they need to do their jobs.

The truth is that God is already present at the scene. We are just adding our prayer power to the work He is doing.

So next time you stop and think about your family when you hear the siren, complete the thought and pray for god's blessing for whoever the ambulance or fireman meet.

Cal