Interrupted

Interrupted

I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Isaiah 6:8

As I sat in church one Sunday, my pastor illustrated my preferred way of living with the most beautiful arrow—a perfectly straight black line drawn across the whiteboard. I could easily predict the course of travel, and there were no obstacles in the direction the arrow was pointing. The illustration was, to me, soothing, predictable, safe. His next drawing, I’ll admit, made me uncomfortable. It was a curving line that looped and weaved and turned in lazy circles even as it moved forward. It was messy, twisted, and chaotic.

His point was that God most often moves in our lives in twisting, unpredictable ways. Are we okay with allowing him to interrupt our carefully coordinated schedules? Are we willing to set aside our to-do lists, our plans, our agendas for the sake of his plan? Are we willing to be interrupted by God?

As my children and I wait at the bus stop each morning, I’ve started praying over our days—that we would each learn to feel the quiet nudge of the Holy Spirit and that we would pause whatever we’re doing to respond obediently. I pray that we would know that when God asks us to move, he will arrange our lives so that the important things still get done.

I never want to hold so tightly to my preconceived view of my day that I ignore the call of God as he seeks someone to send. I want always to be the woman who raises her hand and says, “Here I am, Lord. Send me!” when I feel that gentle tug on my heart to walk over, to say something, to step into the gap for someone else. I desire to be a woman who welcomes and responds willingly to God’s interruptions.

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Ask God to interrupt you, and listen for his invitation to show kindness in an unexpected way.