She Wore Her Calling Around Her Neck

My grandmother wore her cell phone on a lanyard around her neck.

She was the person people called when they were sick, when they needed to feel close to God, or when a family member lay in a hospital bed. Her phone rang anytime during the day and at night.

And she always answered.

I remember visiting her in Korea. One afternoon, we were walking to the market together when her phone rang. She would pause, listen, and then gently tell us she needed to go. Without hesitation, she would turn toward someone else’s need, someone who was hurting, someone who needed prayer.

An hour later, she would meet up with us again, as if this rhythm of leaving and returning was simply part of who she was.

Through her, I learned that prayer is an act of love and that being the Church sometimes looks like answering the call, even when it interrupts your own plans.

J. Kim