"Pardon?"

The telephone is a boon to people who are deaf, I've been told.  I know friends who find a voice on the telephone easier to hear than one in real life.  But there comes a point where this is no longer true because the deafness is profound.  I had to give on on such a call this past week and it brought to mind one of the most difficult pastoral conversations I have ever had.

Few if anyone who reads this blog would ever have met the lady but I'll call her Mary.  Mary lived on her own but had a son David living locally who never came to our Church.  I had never seen her there either but I had met her in hospital and her husband when he'd been alive so had kept, so to speak, in touch.  She had another son, John, in South Africa.  And that's where the call headed:

"Hello, Mary"

"Hello.  Hello, who's that? Is that you, John?"

"It's John Roberts from the Church"

"How are things with you, then?  I hope everyone's well"

"Yes, thank you.  But how are you?"

"Yes, the leaves are falling here.  What's the weather like there?"

"IT'S JOHN FROM THE CHURCH, MARY"

"It's getting colder now too.  The night's are drawing in.  I expect it's warm there already, is it?"

"I'M JOHN ROBERTS FROM THE CHURCH, MARY, I'M RINGING TO SEE HOW YOU ARE."

"Yes, it will soon be winter now.  The leaves are beginning to fall, you know.  How is everyone anyway?"

(Giving up) "We're fine, thank you"

"David's very good, you know.  He does all that needs doing" (Oh dear.  Was that a pointed comment?  I didn't know.  I didn't like being a surrogate telephone son).

The phone call eventually ended - though that wasn't easy to achieve given that I was cast in the role of ringing from South Africa to check on my mother.  I hoped that John's wife and family were indeed alright as I had answered for them! 

And I realised what my prayer times must seem like from heaven's perspective.