Jessica Albritton, Girls Minister, LHBC
Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.
Last Monday was the most Monday of all Mondays. I came in early and made my to-do list like I do every week and took a deep breath. So much to do, so little time to get it all done. I went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and was met with my first interruption. “Jessica, can you help me with something?” By lunch I had been interrupted 4 times and had one unplanned meeting added to the day’s schedule. By the end of the day I finally was able to make my way back to my desk for the first time to find 3 missed calls and 4 unread messages. “That’s it, I’m not getting anything done today,” I thought. I left that day feeling all sorts of unproductive. The rest of the week followed suit and by the end of it I was a little on edge. How was I supposed to get everything done? I had successfully crossed off one task on the to do list, ONE… and I only had a few hours left in the day. I was feeling pretty defeated. I hung my head in my hands and just took a few deep breaths. “It’s just a few more hours Jess, you can do this.” As I was sitting there at my desk working up the motivation to knock it all out my phone rang. You’ve got to be kidding me… I picked up the phone, a little on edge, and then I heard it. A quiver in the voice on the other end of the phone.
Friend, have you ever been there? Being bombarded with constant interruption and closing out the day, or week, feeling utterly unaccomplished? That’s where I was last week but then God reminded me of the interruptions woven all throughout scripture. Time and time again we see how an interruption leads to something much greater. Jonah’s flee from God was interrupted by a great fish, when the Israelites were caught up in their sin God sent prophets to interrupt them and remind them He desired better. A virgin woman was interrupted with an unexpected pregnancy that brought the Savior into the world. We see all throughout scripture where God interrupts and in every single instance, once the adjustment was made, God used that to accomplish His purpose, something that wouldn’t have happened without the interruption. Can you imagine how Nehemiah must have felt when he was interrupted with the news of the destruction of his home? How Noah must have felt when God interrupted his life to ask him to build an ark? How the disciples must have felt when Jesus interrupted asking them to drop everything and follow?
When God interrupts our lives it is not often easy. It may be to leave everything behind and go to an unknown place, it may mean leaving the life and lifestyle you have always known, it may be changing the way you think, or it may simply mean answering the phone and encouraging a friend when your to do list is screaming you don’t have the time. Friend, be encouraged today, whatever sacrifices we are asked to make in order to adjust to God’s interruption will always prove to be worth the cost. The help I was able to offer, the sweet gospel conversations I was able to have with others, the encouragement I was able to both give and receive from those that interrupted my rhythm last week, all are sweet reminders of that. Let’s be ok with the interruptions of life. Let’s not see them as burdens but instead decide in advance to honor God in every single one of the inconvenient interruptions life may throw at us.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Heavenly Father, please help me pause long enough to see the divine interruptions You allow in my life. Lord, help me to not grow weary or frustrated but instead look at them as an opportunity to honor and glorify You! Lord, even when I am caught off guard with the interruptions of life, may Your love and patience spill over. In Jesus name, amen!