Sleepless in St. Louis

For year,s I've told people that it's okay to call me in the middle of the night, if they need to talk.  I could wake up completely, talk with them about whatever was bothering them, and go back to sleep easily.  It was true.  That was part of my job as a pastor.  I would get calls that someone was being taken to the hospital by ambulance, and I could jump up and dress and meet them in the Emergency Room to give them support.

I retired in 2002.  That's 22 years ago, long before text messages.  Guess what?  Most people text these days rather than call.  So last night, I got a text at 2:19 a.m. that was simply a "back atcha" about something I had texted her last Friday.  There was no emergency, since it had taken days for her to respond.

I was sound asleep, woke up quickly, and texted back.  No reply.  My phone tells me that she "has notifications silenced."  I don't do that, since my family and close friends may need to reach me.  I texted a response, and she has yet to reply, nine hours later.  I, on the other hand, was wide awake for three hours.

Maybe at 84, my old body doesn't do what it used to do.  After tossing and turning, I got up and went to find the book I've been reading.  Evidently, my old body doesn't respond as easily as it once did.  I won't turn off the ringer at night, but neither will I tell people that it's okay to call me in the middle of the night.