Do you like being interrupted? I’m not a fan of it myself. You see, I love a daily routine. I’m pretty sure you have one as well. These are patterns and procedures which give our days structure and flow. That’s not a bad thing, but if we aren’t careful, they can soon make anything unexpected seem as an unwelcomed guest. We call it an interruption, and see it as something to be endured instead of enjoyed. I’m not saying that all interruptions are good, but I am saying that certain ones have a purpose. Maybe they even carry with them a divine opportunity wherein God wants to present us with an unexpected twist in our life that is meant to be surprising and exciting! These are “holy interruptions”, and I think we all need to be on the lookout for them so that when (not if) they occur, we welcome them with wonder and amazement.
Easier said than done, right? I agree. In fact, I almost missed a big holy interruption yesterday, but then God helped me press pause on the daily routine just long enough to embrace the surprise of the moment and get lost in the wonder of it all. So, what happened exactly?
I was about the daily routine of lunch break with a dear friend at a local eatery. We both like this spot because of its delicious food and friendly staff. I was thinking in terms of standard routine – get a table, order your food, eat, talk, share some jokes, pay, leave, and get back to work! Upon entering the restaurant, the owner came and greeted us. We exchanged pleasantries as per usual. That’s as far as we’ve gone before, why would today be any different? I was all prepared to march past this encounter and grab a table until the holy interruption began.
“It’s been a rough couple of days for us here,” he said.
“How so?” I asked
“One of our employees lost his battle with drug addiction and passed away,” he answered.
“I’m so sorry to hear that. How are you and your employees doing?”
He paused and said, “We’re all terribly sad. We all loved him. We all miss him.”
The conversation continued from there for a while longer, but I won’t detail the specifics. Sufficed to say, that this individual was hurting and was expressing grief. Within this holy interruption, God awakened my compassion and empathy that otherwise would’ve remained dormant and created a bridge to another image bearer. In a moment, we were no longer just acquaintances that greeted each other on occasion. We were transformed by a deeper bond beyond business owner and patron or residents of the same square mileage that we refer to as home. He had a story to tell, and in the holy interruption that was that moment, God gave me the capacity to truly hear it in my very soul.
I’m sure that there are people who would have brought Jesus into the conversation at that moment, but I didn’t. Not because I believe Jesus couldn’t help…you know better than that! He can and He always does! I didn’t because that’s not what the person was asking for in that moment. He wasn’t asking for a faith response from a preacher. His need was far more basic. He was asking if I heard him and if I cared. I can only hope that I embraced the holy interruption long enough to effectively say, “Yes, I do.”
How’s your heart today? Are you in place where you could receive a holy interruption? Or are you so fixated to the daily routine that there is simply no room? If that’s you, I encourage you to do a couple of things that I believe will help.
One, begin your day spending time with God in His word. Do you remember when I said 15 minutes in the word of God each day will transform your life? It’s still true! This time will transform your ability to hear and see things in a totally different manner. You can more clearly see the holy interruptions so you can pump the breaks on your daily routine and truly relish the moment. Two, say prayers a sentence or two at a time during the narrow gaps you have between the different stops of your daily routine. Otherwise known as “breath prayers,” these are small, pointed requests lifted to God that take a moment but keep our spiritual senses keen. One that I often use is the following, “Lord help me to see you.” Another is, “Lord help me to just be.” I encourage you to develop and use your own.
Friends, may God give us eyes to see, ears to listen, and hearts to feel in each and every one of the holy interruptions He has planned for us during this season. When the summer breeze blows an unexpected person, need, conversation our way, may we suspend our daily routines long enough to embrace the surprise God has in store for us. Holy interruptions await us all. If only we can see and hear them…
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