Learn how to be interrupted and not get offended

Learn how to be interrupted and not get offended. Jesus was able to be interrupted and since you're following him, you should be able to be interrupted too. In this section of the Live LIGHT Manifesto we'll look at how you can do that.

I choose to be interruptible.

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:43-48

8 times Jesus was interrupted in the first 4 chapters of the gospel of Mark.

1. While praying Mark 1:35-39
2. While traveling Mark 1:40-45
3. While teaching Mark 2:1-12
4. While on his way Mark 2:13-17
5. While He worshipped with others Mark 3:1-5
6. While He withdrew Mark 3:7-12
7. While He tried to eat Mark 3:20-29
8. While He slept Mark 4:35-41

Miracles happen in the moments.

Can we live a life with those kinds of interruptions?

My best story of being interrupted to date has to be this one. When our kids were little, we attended a church that met downtown. One day I let Karen and the kids out and went to park the car. On the way back I saw someone stumbling towards me.

I thought I had two options. I knew he was going to ask for change. My options were simple, I thought, I could not give him anything and feel good that I wasn’t supporting a destructive lifestyle or I could give him the change in my pocket and feel benevolent for a few minutes. Unfortunately God interrupted me.

Give him something better

I felt him tell me, “Give him something better.”

I didn’t know what that better was, so I started a conversation with him. It wasn’t long before he was insisting I give him something, “But God told me to give you something better.” And I still didn’t have a clue what that could be.

“God doesn’t want me to have money?” He shouted. “No, that’s not what I said, God wants me to give you something better than money.”

He still had a fist in his hand when I started asking questions. I had to know what I could give him. “Don’t you have family?”

Don't you have family?

“My brother and my mother don’t want anything to do with me.”

“But you have kids, don’t you.”

“I don’t have any kids.”

“But you’re a father, aren’t you? You take care of the kids you know on the street. You make sure they’re warm and safe and you give them what you have. You share what you have with them. That’s what God loves about you. You’re a father to the ones who don’t have a father and you’re showing them love like God would.”

His fist went to a hug. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me, let me by you coffee!”

I told him I had to let my family know I was alive and he didn’t want to come to church with me. When I got back to the street after I had checked in, he was already gone.

Miracles happen in the moment.

Not being bothered or upset when you’re interrupted is a worthy goal for all of us to have. It means God has rights to our agenda and we’re attentive to what He wants to do in the moment.

Do you believe what I’m writing? Do you want to not be bothered when your life is interrupted?

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