Everyone needs hope. I didn’t recognize the caller on my ID. Still, I picked up the phone.

“I was wondering if there was a Pete Peterson there,” the woman said.

Wrong numbers happen. But I didn’t hang up. Instead, I heard something.

“Stay on the phone”

It was a simple statement, but I knew that voice. A voice I had heard before. And listening to that voice, I have never been sorry.

“No, I’m sorry. We are the Peterson’s, but there is no Pete here.”

I thought it was funny because my husband, Mike, used to be called “Pete” by his army buddies.

A lost friend

“I’m looking for our friend we’ve known for years. We somehow lost touch and it’s very important I find him.”

I sensed she would share more, and I was right.

“You see, my husband is about to celebrate his 80th birthday and it would mean so much to him if I could find Pete and he could be there.”

My heart was touched with her story.

“Have you tried to search online?” I asked.

“I’m afraid I’m not very good on the computer. My daughter did try for a while but came up with nothing.”

Even then, I could have said, “I’m sorry. I hope you find your friend.”

I could have. But instead, I heard the same words, “Stay on the phone.”

A choice to make

“I could try to find him online if you like,” I said.

The woman became quiet. And then said,

“Oh, could you? And if you find him, just tell him that Shirley Peterson is having a party for her husband and she would love it if you could call her.”

Her appreciation came through the phone, loud and clear. Sure. I knew I might have an easier time than she would, although I was no technological pro. If you don’t believe me, ask my kids.

Still, there was something here. Something worth pursuing.

More to the story

And then she continued. “My husband is ill. He has cancer. And I’m afraid if I don’t have this party, I won’t get another chance.”

I felt moved by her story.

“May I pray for you, Shirley?”

“Why yes,” she said without hiding her surprise.

“Father, God, I bring Shirley before you. I pray that you would help her find their family friend Pete. Lord, you know where he is. If it would please you, Lord, I pray that somehow Shirley would be able to have him at her husband’s party. And God, I pray for Shirley’s husband. Will you touch his body and help him as he struggles with this illness. I pray this in Your Son’s precious and Holy name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

“No one has ever prayed for me before,” she said, crying.

Those words sunk into the deepest part of me.

A simple question

“Why have you offered to help me?” she asked.

“I have a personal relationship with God. I am a Christ follower. And I believe he wants me to help you.”

Hope. I had given Shirley hope. Even if I didn’t find Pete. I could tell she was encouraged that I had given her time. Sometimes just spending time with people gives them hope. It lets them know they are worth someone’s time.

“Oh, thank you so much. You are an angel,” she said.

“I am not an angel,” I said as softly as possible. I’ll call you if I have any news, Shirley.

And with that, I hung up.

It’s amazing how much searching you can get done on the computer. I spent a couple of days working on it, praying all the time. Coming up empty. And I’d just pray some more.

I believe God cares about all of us. I knew he cared about Shirley. I also believe he cared about the party she wanted to throw her ill husband.

Finally, at the end of the second day, I realized I didn’t have any good news to pass on to Shirley.

No luck

On the phone with a friend of mine, I relayed the whole story.

Lois listened and then replied, “I know a Pete Peterson.”

I remembered Pete’s last name was spelled differently. So I asked my friend if she could spell his name.

Sadly, it was s-o-n, like we spelled ours and Shirley was explicit about the spelling. Still, I thought I’d ask for his number. Just in case.

I dialed the number, tempted to feel foolish calling a complete stranger. But I pushed those feelings out. This was important. Worth making a mistake with a stranger.

“Hello,” the man answered.

And I launched into the story. He was kind enough to listen and when I had explained why I called, and who I was looking for, he quietly said,

“That’s me. I’m the Pete you are looking for. I recently moved and had lost their number. I can hardly believe I’ll get to see them again. Thank you, SO much.”

I sat quietly, letting him finish. Then I told him I’d pass his number on to Shirley. And then I made my call, all the while, praising God that he let me find her friend.

The best call ever

“Shirley, I found Pete!” I said.

“What!!” she replied.

I knew she was crying just as I was. Tears of joy.

“Oh, thank you. Thank you SO much. My husband will be so happy.”

A couple weeks went by and I received another call from Shirley.

“I’d really like to meet you. Would that be possible?”

“Of course,” I responded. I wanted to meet this person God had brought into my life.

I got a ride to the McDonald’s restaurant we agreed to meet in. As I sat there waiting, I thought it would be easy to identify sweet Shirley. And I was not mistaken.

She walked in and a huge smile covered her face, as she asked, “Are you, Anne?”

And then she said, “May I give you a hug?”

The gift

So there we were two former strangers sharing a hug in a McDonalds. All because of a wrong number.

Shirley placed a beautiful gift bag in front of me.

“I’d like you to have this.”

Carefully, I reached into the gift bag and the white tissue paper. Lifting out a small cardboard box, I cast my eyes on the most beautiful angel statuette I had ever seen.

“I collect these, but I don’t even have this one. I got it just for you because you’re my angel.”

And I stared at this porcelain angel with the most delicate features I had ever seen. The one that now sits in my china cabinet.

I met a woman who seemed to be a wrong number. She wasn’t a wrong number at all. It was a divine moment. And those moments are available to all of us.

We live in a world full of people who are hurting. People who need hope. And we all have the opportunity to reach out and provide that hope.

All we have to do is listen.

Photo by Gabriel Lamza on Unsplash