From Interruption to Invitation

“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah…saying, ‘Arise, go…’” Jonah 1:1-2

I’m so excited to revisit this Bible study which I did back in 2013.  The subheading of the study is Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer.  Interruptions… from the smallest to the biggest of them they range from irritating us to devastating us.    I remember when we had gone to a 100-year celebration for our grandmother years ago.  Many people who had been impacted by her life had come to give a short testimony of her impact.  I was expecting to hear stories of awards she had received, ministries she had started and speeches she had given.  But some of the most impactful stories I heard that day regarded the ways she had touched their lives in her daily interactions…the sacred rhythms in God’s daily symphony.  Grandmother fully understood that her value would be found in the spiritual notes that God assigned her in the daily movements with Him.  One story described a time when a woman who was in great despair knocked on Grandmother’s door without calling first.  She said that when the door was opened, she glanced at the dinner table where steam was rising from the food where Granddaddy sat.  Suddenly aware that she had interrupted them right as they sat down to enjoy dinner, she promised to come back later.  Grandmother insisted she come in and took her coat and purse.  She took the women in a private room and comforted her…prayed with her…encouraged her as long as it took.  Grandmother saw the person on the other side of the door as a Divine invitation from God instead of a dinner time interruption. Story after story played the same tune of the heart of a woman who embraced all interruptions as an opportunity to showcase her God.

But as we all have experienced, interruptions can be much more devastating than our dinner getting cold.  Many of us have had our lives interrupted and are trying to navigate through our circumstances.  Our lives are interrupted with a marital crisis.  Our health is interrupted with a medical diagnosis.  Our families are interrupted with a relationship fracture.  Our financial health is interrupted with a lack of employment. Our golden years are interrupted by the exhausting care for our elderly parents.

But what if we tried to see our interruptions as something higher?  What if we change our perspective from interruption to an invitation from the God who controls our situation?  The best way to see God at work are the places where only God can handle the situation.   When our interruptions flow into our lives we can be sure that God has already worked them out and allowed them to be our experience.  It is our responsibility to ‘arise…to go…to prepare for the journey.’  He has already laid out the mercies for our route and knows the destination up ahead.  Nothing flows into the lives of His children without flowing through the palms of His hands.  Whatever interruption you are presently experiencing have faith that lives will be impacted by watching your journey.  God has personally chosen you to partner with Him in your unique circumstances.