Is it fair to say that life is often interupted?  Whether the interuptions are good or bad, fair or unfair, life is full of them.

It seems every character mentioned in God’s Word dealt with interruptions.  Take Moses who wondered in the desert for two 40 year stints – life interrupted.  Noah who built a boat because God said to and endured ridicule and unbelief  – life interrupted.  Abraham, at the request of God left his home, and journeyed to a new land – life interrupted.  Sarah who birthed a child at 90 – definitely life interrupted.  Mary, the mother of Jesus believed, conceived, and gave the world God’s Son – her life was interrupted and many lives since then have followed in the ripples.  There is Paul, Deborah, Elizabeth, Joshua, David, Joseph…The list goes on and on through the centuries. 

Every one of us has had our lives interrupted by the world around us, by our families, by our friends, and hopefully by the One and Only God.  What are all these interruptions about?  First, they are God’s demands on our lives.  For instance, a friend needs your help and you have plans that really aren’t important.  God really does expect us to put others first so let your life be interrupted and help that friend.  Then,  there are situations that God needs us to experience so that His Purposes for the Kingdom are furthered.  Perhaps a serious life illness, an accident, loss of home, job, or family members, career changes…there are many life issues that can be used to give others hope. 

Priscilla Schirer says in her study of Jonah that “THE INTERRUPTED LIFE is the privileged life.  It may not look like that at the time but God always has a plan.  Let our prayer be INTERRUPT me, Lord.  Make me useful in your Kingdom.  Bless me with interruptions so that I can be the person You use to model You to the people around me.

In the course of my lifelong search for what Love really is God has given many examples of it.  We recently had guests for lunch and their youngest son was totally enamored with our black cat’s choice of sleeping/hiding places.  He (the cat) loves to be totally covered up under quilts, blankets, pillows…actually under anything.  We would pull back the throw, that the cat was sleeping under, and all Isaiah could see was two green eyes peering back and he would laugh that delighted two-year old laugh.  I could hear God in that laugh and knew that He was once again giving me a personal glimpse of Him through a child’s delighted laugh.

Psalm 149:4 tells us the LORD takes great delight in us.  He shows us how much He loves us in the many things around us.  Like a child’s delighted laugh, humming birds at the feeders, the shapes and colors of nature, people who model His many attributes, and… Watch for the LORD’s delighted love.  It’s everywhere!

John 13:33-34

How often do we pray, “Father, let (help) me love everyone today,” then walk out of our ‘prayer spot’ and totally forget we’ve asked?

Then, someone irritates us with their words…

Then, something happens that wasn’t planned…

Then, another person tells us what someone else has said about us…

Then we feel slighted by someone, in some way…

When we are commanded in John 13:34 to love one another like HE loves us there are no ifs, there are no buts.  One almost might say there are no options.  But there are actually two,  right choices and wrong choices.  The above “thens” have options.  We can choose to respond as HE would with kindness, love, patience, gentleness and self-control.  We can choose to be hateful, gossipy, malicious, or controlling.  What choice we make we shows others Whose we are.

Let’s choose loving one another!!!