I’m one of those people who hates interruptions. I make my daily to-do list with every intention of working through it until each item is completed. And inevitably the phone will ring or the clothes dryer will buzz or my computer will freeze, and I have to pause and reboot it. Or there’s the flu that never seems to arrive at a convenient time, usually right in the middle of a tight deadline.
But as all of us have learned, interruptions are a part of life. It’s how we respond to them that makes the difference—and I’ve found that often there are good reasons for the disruptions that come along:
1. For Our Protection
There have been many times when I’ve driven somewhere and traffic came to a stop because of road work or a wreck ahead. Or there’ve been instances when I’ve had to take a detour or been stuck at a red light because the cars in front of me were slow about moving when the light changed. Those moments used to make this full-speed-ahead gal impatient, but then one day, God showed me that those minutes I waited at the red light or behind stopped traffic might have protected me from the danger ahead.
2. To Teach Us That We’re Not in Control
I’ve made numerous plans and had big dreams that I thought would be awesome. Then I’ve seen it all fall apart. I’ll be honest, there were times I grieved the loss, wondering what God was doing, why He wasn’t blessing my plans. But with the beauty of hindsight, I’ve realized that my plans would have been a mistake; I was so much better off with God in control.
3. To Make Us Listen
Sometimes God has to interrupt me so I’ll slow down long enough to hear His whispers to my heart. It’s in those be-still moments that I can feel His presence.
4. To Cause “U-turn” Moments
Sometimes God interrupts our plans because He has a “U-turn” for us. That can be difficult when our lives are disrupted by job losses or broken relationships, but we can rest assured that God always has something better for us. I’ve learned that His dreams are always bigger than anything I’d imagined.
Are you aggravated by the interruptions in your life? You just might discover that God means them as blessings.
