Interrupt Me

Interrupt Me

Luann Prater

After five years of living in our house, my husband agreed we needed curtains on the windows. Deciding on just the right ones, at just the right sale price, was a challenge. In the span of a week, I had shopped all over town, finally found something I liked that was affordable, installed all the hardware, and meticulously ironed every inch of the drapes before hanging them on the rods. Then I took them down and started over. The gals in the drapery department at the local department store knew me by name.

All of this happened the week before Thanksgiving. And exchanging curtains at the mall was the last thing I planned to be doing the Wednesday before Turkey Day. But there I was, paying for another set of drapes at the register.

And there she was, Vivian. She breathlessly approached the counter asking to use the phone. This young girl had been dropped off at the mall to go to work, only to discover she wasn’t scheduled. She needed to call someone to pick her up.

That’s when I felt a familiar knock on my heart. Actually, it was pounding. I knew it meant God had an interruption planned.

“Do you need a ride?” I asked.

All activity stopped. She looked at me quizzically. The cashier waited to see what would happen. Vivian cocked her head to the side in disbelief. “Uh, yes.”

“I’m leaving; I’ll take you,” came out of my mouth.

May I just say that giving a ride to a stranger was not on my agenda. My to-do list was a mile long and there was nothing on it about offering a ride to someone I’d just met. However, the truths of Matthew 25 were resonating within me. I knew God had asked me to be on the lookout for strangers to invite in—into my home, into my church, and, so it appeared, into my daily routine.

During the drive to Vivian’s house, she told me about her six siblings. Because of her mom’s drug abuse, five were adopted out of the family six years ago, leaving just her and her brother. No one wants to adopt thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds, she explained. She had subsequently made decisions that had taken her down some wrong roads. We talked about church and she said she’d gone a few times, but didn’t attend now.

“Vivian, God put us together today,” I said. “He has a plan for your life. You didn’t expect to run into me and I didn’t expect to run into you, yet here we are. Unusual, don’t you think?”

“Yes,” she said, “no one takes a chance on anyone. I couldn’t believe you offered me a ride.”

I asked about her past and her hopes for the future. In twenty minutes, we bonded.

“Are you working Sunday?” I asked.

“No, I’m off,” she replied.

“I’ll pick you up for church if you want to go with us.” She said she thought that would be great!

I got out of the car and wrapped her in a hug. Then I prayed for her as we both stood amazed at how quickly we’d connected.

I’m thankful for interruptions. God wants to interrupt us for His purposes, inviting Him and others into our lives in unexpected ways.

Dear Lord, please open my heart, my eyes, and my routine to Your divine interruptions. May it be said of me, “She’s a woman who invited God in.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.

REMEMBER

God wants to interrupt you for His purposes, inviting Him and others into your life in unexpected ways.

REFLECT

Have you felt that “knocking” on your heart? How do you respond to what the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do in that moment?

RESPOND

Ask the Lord for a greater awareness of His “knocking” and of others around you who need your help.

POWER VERSES

Proverbs 16:9; Matthew 25:35–40