Hey Siri By Annette Burrell

About a year ago, my iPhone had an unfortunate accident.

I had been at an outdoor concert, and during the last song the sky began to darken. I knew what was coming. I warned the group of ladies I was with, and we began making our way toward the gates. The only problem was that everyone else had the same idea.

By the time I made it to my car, I was soaked. The automatic door locks weren’t working, and as I fumbled for my keys, I dropped my phone in a big puddle. I picked it up, looked over to the next row, and saw my car facing me.

I had been standing by the wrong car! Argggg!

I should have said, “Hey Siri, where’s my car?” Maybe then I wouldn’t have been in that predicament. Instead, Siri left me all alone that day, never to return. The water from the puddle destroyed my internal microphone, so no more Siri for me.

Looking back, I probably should have called out to God to protect me from the rainstorm. Maybe He would have helped me find my car and not someone else’s.

In a world where technology becomes obsolete the moment the next model hits the market, many people call on Siri when calling on God would be the better choice. Just as Siri listens when we speak, God hears every word we say. As far back as Genesis 4:25–26, we see people calling on the name of the Lord. While no details are given, there is clear acknowledgment of who God is.

Last August, the results of my mammogram revealed a nodule in my left breast. I was told that 97% of these nodules come back benign, so I tried not to worry. A biopsy, however, was needed to confirm whether it was benign or cancerous.

As I sat alone in the imaging center, I prayed:

Holy Spirit, I lay everything at your feet. I pray that you give me peace. And when I try to take this request back and do this alone, remind me that I asked for your peace and that you answered me. I also ask that you take away any pain associated with this procedure and with anything that may come on this journey. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

My prayer for peace was answered immediately. I experienced what the Bible describes as peace that cannot be explained.

Philippians 4:7 (NIV) says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

There was absolutely no pain during the procedure. From the prick of the needle, to the numbing of the area, to the removal of pieces of the tumor, I felt nothing. All the procedures leading up to and through my surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and surrounding tissues were pain-free.

The only slight pain I experienced was during the insertion of the IV needle, both for a pre-op procedure and for the one used during my surgery.

God is alive and well. God is good. God is transcendent. He is beyond human comprehension. Yet we know that He exists, and people have been calling upon His name since the earliest generations populated the earth.

Hey God,

Thank you for being such an awesome God. Thank you for listening when I called upon your name. Thank you for answering my prayers, not always the way I would choose, but in ways that fulfill your promises and purpose for my life.

It brings me comfort to know there is no Siri in Heaven. Instead, it is my God whom I call upon. His answers are not stored in some iCloud designed by humans. His answers are in His cloud, high above this earth, where He dwells and reigns. One day I will live with Him for all eternity.

I have been in what feels like a whirlwind. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer and am now cancer-free. I am a blessed woman. God’s fingerprints are all over my journey, and there is much more to the story.

Maybe you have your own story of breast cancer or another life-threatening illness. When you find yourself Googling symptoms or asking Siri what might be ahead, I pray you will turn to God instead.

Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, “Hey God.”