Calling 911

I am officially an old lady!

If anyone is not sure of the legitimacy of my geriatric status, please feel free to contact the Sheriff’s Department of Henry County, Tennessee, for verification.

Actual verification might be more easily obtained through the Henry County E911 offices since that is who probably declared me as “a crazy, old lady” around 5:00 p.m. last Friday night. 

What happened was … well … it’s a long story.

It all started when my sister and I decided it was time for another yard sale adventure, this time along the annual 30-mile Yard Sale through Holladay, Camden, Big Sandy, and over toward Paris, Tennessee.

We had a great day digging through the discarded possessions of hundreds of Tennesseans while searching for treasures such as pottery and antique glassware. Even though we found few treasures, we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company, and we ate some delicious food. And those are always our primary objectives anytime we get together.

My sister drove while I navigated the 50-zillion stops. We used the car GPS in conjunction with the map app on my phone to make sure we did not miss any potential treasure trove of goodies. So, by the end of the day, my phone was almost dead – even though I kept it on the car charger as much as possible throughout our 10 hours of extreme shopping.

When we finally made it to our nighttime destination, we were exhausted, and so was my phone. As I innocently tried to connect it to a charger in the hotel room, I evidently (and unknowingly) pressed the crisis call sequence to alert 911 that I needed emergency help.

Now, here’s the funny, crazy, old lady part of the tale. This unintentional call happened at precisely the moment I slid the bathroom door open to look for an electrical plug. And when I say precisely the same minute, I mean exactly the same instant.

So, in one hand, I was holding my dead phone, and with the other hand, I was sliding a door open. Then, lo and behold, we heard this horrifying alarm going off. We both looked at each other as if we had done something terribly wrong.

Were we NOT supposed to open that door? Did it have an alarm system that we somehow triggered? Had we breached some kind of security barrier? Or what?

As the alarm continued to scream, I glanced down at my previously dead phone, and it was very much alive and flashing a red emergency banner.

Oops! I had accidentally dialed 911. Oh, well, no big deal, right? I simply pushed the cancel button, and the shrill alarm ceased. 

After a second or two of silence, my sister and I both commented that it really was true what “they say” about a dead phone having enough reserve power to make an emergency call. How awesome!

Well, that moment of awesome revelation was quickly replaced with another revelation – one that was not quite as awesome.

All of a sudden, my still-dead phone rang yet again, showing a number I did not recognize. I answered gingerly, almost afraid of what was to come. Sure enough, it was a Henry County E911 dispatcher, and she was one determined and thorough officer.

She very professionally and compassionately stated that she had received an emergency call from this number and inquired if I had a problem.

With more than a little embarrassment, I explained to her what had happened. She laughed in response, but she was not finished. Explaining that she just wanted to make sure I was indeed the one who had canceled the call, she politely asked if I could give her my name. I did. Then, she ventured to ask for my location. I gave it.

Next, she asked if she could get the name of the person with me. I complied and gave her my sister’s name. I also told her that we had come to town for the annual yard sale. I even offered her the name of the sweet desk clerk who had checked us in only moments earlier. And I assured the dispatcher that she could call the front desk and ask about who and when we had entered this room.

She was finally satisfied that I was alright and did not need immediate help, so she ended our call. Wow! She truly did her job better than anyone I’ve encountered through emergency services. I thought to myself that if I had been a victim of any abuse or misconduct, this lady would have saved me. No doubt!

In fact, I prayed for this woman. I thanked God for her willingness to protect people and her attention to her duties as a defender of the law. I asked God to cover her with His protection, just as she had offered to protect me.

After my solemn prayer, it hit me that she probably gets accidental calls quite often – especially from crazy, old ladies using newfangled iPhones. I wondered if she laughed or hung up the phone in exasperation. I kind of doubted it, due to her instant attention to every detail of my safety and security.

To be honest, the entire incident was embarrassing, for sure. But more than that, it was also reassuring to know that someone I had never met (and probably never will meet) was watching out for me.

Of course, I was also reminded of God’s constant protection over me. Most of the time, I do not ponder that protection. Yes, I call on Him regularly and pray for His precious blood to cover me, but I really do not think about it constantly. I take His protection for granted if the truth is told.

Just like that precious dispatcher, God is always there, on guard, and able to defend me. He always hears me, even when (as with this past Friday night’s call) my cries for help do not constitute a real emergency. Nevertheless, He answers when I call. And unlike that Henry County 911 officer, God knows what I need even before I call.

His faithfulness never fails or falters.

But the real question is: Do I always answer His call? Am I ready and available to go and do whatever He asks? Would I be willing to be the dispatch of help He is providing for someone else in need? Or will I hesitate to answer and heed His call?

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8, ESV).