How do you handle interruptions?
/*Note: This story was written a while back, but the message is too good not to share.
How do you handle interruptions? This story stirred early morning while stretched out on my daybed with Bibles, book by Andrew Womack ‘You’ve Already Got It”, and yearning to write a story about ‘God Being Everywhere at all Times’! Before the first sentence was completed on my screen, interruptions ‘took me away’ like Calgon! Two squirrels teased, tested, and took after one another across my back yard, neighbors’ mowers buzzed - reminding me the flat tire on James’ John Deere that interrupted my lawn mowing, birds bathed joyfully in the Love, Laugh, Lift fountain in our garden, chimes Tim gave me played sweet music and stirred special memories, my phone rang with news my sister was headed to the hospital, and my mind battled the blessed and burdensome things that kept me from writing before heading to Tim’s Gift. Interruptions changed my plans and caused frustration; yet, they also brought blessings and drew me closer to Christ.
In His perfect timing, I plopped in my same spot to finish the story on God Being Everywhere…at ALL TIMES! What a joy to write His love stories and feel the ‘wonder of it all’ from head to toes. Mulling that sentence in my mind left fingers frozen on keys with heart pounding conviction only Christ knows! Having a little talk with Jesus took away my tears and taught me (again) many interruptions are sent from Him! A large picture over Jennifer’s desk came to mind. Jesus stands tall with a modern day young woman -suffering from bleeding for twelve years - crawling behind and reaching to touch the fringe of His garment.
She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed…”
Her strong faith got Jesus' attention. What are we, the people living in a land flowing with milk and honey, doing that causes Christ to take notice? Do we seek Him even in crowds that look the other way or are we consumed with fast paced living with little time to give Him any given day?
Jesus’ schedule surely overflowed with things He planned to do here before dying for our sins, arising, and ascending to Heaven. Yet, He took time for interruptions and expects us to do the same, even when busyness can burden and steal blessings.
Reaching for my Bible to find verses about Jesus doing great miracles and teaching powerful lessons when He was interrupted stirred powerfully the rest of this story. With Bible in hand, my search for scriptures stopped when papers tucked between the cover and contents slipped out and scattered everywhere. Knowing the enemy would celebrate me losing my cool, I simply listened to chirping birds (knowing God promises to take care of them as He will you and me) and began picking up my papers while concentrating on Thee…not pitiful ole’ me!
After cleaning up my mess, a folded notebook paper didn’t make it bake inside my Bible. Feeling led to unfold the tattered paper, I read it and wept! Recognizing notes from a sermon I shared in 2014 and focusing on my bold handwriting that told the title…”Living in Love with INTERRUPTIONS and Loving It”, I knew He sent it to reteach and remind me me (and you) the power of heeding divine interruptions and experiencing what amazing things He can do!
Lessons taught from that sermon were teaching me again what He wanted me to hear from Him! God is well pleased when we take time to help others and sad when we pretend not to see or choose not to do unto others as we would want them to do to us… when He sends interruptions! We quickly forget or fail to heed when overextended schedules keep us scampering like the squirrels preparing for winter in my backyard. Reading over my scribbled notes took me to a place where Jesus reminded me once again…those interruptions can bring blessed memories time will never erase.
Notes for the closing of the sermon I shared in the same year James was called to Heaven were divinely left my my side to end this story. Making reference to Jeremiah, Hannah, and Rahab’s willingness to embrace interruptions and witness blessings beyond belief, my handwritten notes shared about a snowfall that came to Clinton that year.
"Our unexpected snowfall brought interruptions…What did you do during this interrupted time? James and I took pictures and threw snowballs that sent us inside where we stood in front of our gas logs giggling like children. Then, we loaded his car with plates and delivered them to people who needed food. It was cold, but we were warmed inside by doing what we felt He wanted us to do.”
I folded the paper and put it back inside my Bible while celebrating the blessings of going forth to new beginnings and going back to relive precious memories. Realizing the dangers of getting stuck in places where we live in the past, missing opportunities to serve in the present, and becoming consumed with schedules seeking future successes while giving the Lord and loved ones leftovers, we can lose the joy of living life here by Jesus' example...and happily living forever and ever where God is!
May we learn from His lessons, lean on His everlasting arms, and love our neighbors like He commanded. Then, you and me (not grammatically correct but rhyming helps us remember) can sweetly seize interruptions that are sent from THEE!
