iPhone vs. Ford F150

Character Development
Written By Mark Hamby

Reflective Reading: Psalm 145

I knew it was no match for my F150! All the hype, all the marketing about how tough the iPhone was…the glass was supposed to be virtually unbreakable. Ha! Well, I decided to test its durability with my F150. I wish you could have been there to witness this once in a life-time event. Just no contest, I say…no contest!

Let’s back up so that you can have the full picture. It was Friday, and I had just filled up the bed of my F150 with ½ ton of broken up blacktop. If we hurried, we could make it to the dump before it closed. One of my staff members, Spencer, jumped in the truck with me and off we went! It took us 20 minutes to unload the black top at the far end of the dump. All around us were thousands of tree branches, leaves, stones, broken up pieces of blacktop, concrete, and piles of dirt and weeds.

Wanting to get back before 5, we worked quickly. I placed my iPhone on the tailgate of the truck, and we finished in record time. “Let’s go!” I called, and Spencer jumped in the truck. I gave it the gas and we booked it out of there! Moments later, I remembered the iPhone. “Oh no!” I cried aloud. We circled back around and drove to the gate. I told Spencer to stay right there while I ran back and grabbed the phone. I zipped back—no phone. I walked slowly up the road—no phone. I drove back and forth searching—still no phone! “This is crazy!” I thought to myself. “It has to be here.”

It was at that moment Spencer held up a piece of unrecognizable junk and said, “I found it!”

I gingerly took the mangled-up mess and shook my head in disbelief. This was my phone?! The only way I knew it was mine was the shattered credit cards, driver’s license, and coffee cards poking through the tattered leather cover. I knew it! The F150 is far superior to the iPhone!

Determined not to let this mishap spoil my weekend, we drove back to the office. I showed everyone the remains of the iPhone, and they were astonished that a device like this could be so completely unrecognizable. Knowing I would need a new phone, one of my staff asked where the sim card was. I shrugged. She said it would save me hours on the phone with my carrier if I had that little piece of tech. Naturally, we examined the shattered remains a little closer! The sim card was nowhere to be found.

So, would I suggest the inconceivable? Yes, I would!—because that is the kind of God we serve. He cares for the sparrows, why not sim cards? So, a group of us decided to go on a little field trip to the dump…and I would say that the chances of finding this card were 1-in-a-trillion! But the Providential possibility of finding it was 100%, if my great God wanted it to be found.

So, we prayed—and prayed again! You would have laughed to see us. Four Lamplighter team members were on our knees closely examining every square inch of the location where the remnants of shattered glass were found. For about 20 minutes we scoured the area. I was determined. “Father, we really could use your help. Lord, if you don’t want us to find this, that is fine as well, but this really would be helpful.”

Finally, enough was enough. This wasn’t fair to my staff! I was just about to send everyone back to the office when I noticed one of my staff wandering waaaay off into the weeds. He’s always wandering, gazing, and wondering. He has a science mind and is always formulating something. “Hey, you’re not going to find it in the weeds!” I yelled over to him. He had this big grin on his face; being recently married, he was picking flowers for his bride. “Aw, how sweet…now get over here and help us find the sim card!”

“Oh, never mind,” I thought to myself. We needed to call this search and rescue off anyway; it was getting late.

As Spencer walked over to us, he asked, “What’s the name of the God who sees?” We ignored him as we were giving the area our final detailed examination. “El Roi,” he said, still smiling. Newlyweds do act a little strange sometimes so I didn’t give his question attention. But he persisted. So he said,—“El Roi! The God who sees.” And then, getting our attention, he held up his hand and said, “The same God who helped me to see this sim card!” He held out the notorious card in the palm of his hand.

We stood there in amazement and then burst out into praise and song; only God! I know this stuff sometimes sounds too good to be true, but I’ve experience things like this so many times that it defies the laws of possibilities. We have a great and magnificent God! After reflecting upon this event, I have this to say:

“David’s song of praise. I will exalt thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy awe-inspiring acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy righteous ones shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and they dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that are bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou gives them their meat in due season. Thou opens thine hand, and satisfies the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserves all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145

Only God!

Mark Hamby

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