DIVINELY INTERRUPTIBLE
Oh my goodness! I'm reading the most amazing book Donna Dodds Gaines gave me about the Holy Spirit called "The Familiar Stranger" by Tyler Staton. God gives me exactly what I need, exactly when I need it. And a lot of the time, He does it through Donna! I'm so grateful. If you want to delve deeper into the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, I highly recommend this book.
As you know, I enjoy spending time on my front porch, reading my Bible and talking to Jesus. Hello, of course I do, my first book is called "Front Porch Moments." However, my four little grandchildren live right next door, and it is almost impossible to do that without being interrupted. So you can imagine what I felt as I was reading this profoundly deep book, and the first couple of sentences of the next section I read said, "Early every morning I read Scripture and pray from a chair on my porch. I also have a two-year-old. Sometimes he wakes up unusually early and interrupts my devoted time of prayer."
I can't believe this extremely intimidating man is JUST LIKE ME!!!! Staton goes on to ask, "Is Amos an interruption to my prayer, or is he how God is coming to me in my prayer?"
That's a powerful question! Staton concludes, "For me at the moment, based on my personality and temperament, becoming more INTERRUPTIBLE in my spiritual practices does more to form me into the image of Jesus than becoming more INTENTIONAL in my spiritual practice." Don't skim that sentence, or you may miss what he said.
What about me? One day I was "hiding" on my porch early in the morning when my 3-year-old granddaughter came outside and asked, "GiGi, what are you doing?" I said, "Go back inside, honey. I'm out here talking to Jesus." She said, "Can I listen to you talk to Jesus?" I want you to listen to me. Many times, the things we think are interruptions to our prayers are actually the answers to our prayers!
Back to Tyler Staton's book. He goes on to quote Mike Mason, who said, "Many Christians would rather look into their Bible than into the eyes of a fellow human being." I read a biography of Mrs. Oswald Chambers where she said she and Oswald lived a life of "Divine interruptibility." They were consumed with the work of the Lord, until anyone, at any time, knocked on their door (which they did often). Then, they became consumed with the work of the Lord in an entirely DIFFERENT manner. They immediately switched gears and threw themselves into the work of hospitality for as long as that person wanted to stay. They always stopped to pour both hot tea and compassionate guidance and counsel into any and all who "interrupted."
Staton says, "When asked the greatest commandment, Jesus joined the two together--love for God and love for others. We meet God in personal, private, individualized spiritual practice, and we meet God in other people. Provided, of course, we go looking for the same things in both places--union with God. This is the litmus test of all spiritual formation: Is it leading me deeper into community or isolation?"
What about you? Please, please, please sit and rock on the front porch with Jesus, but always leave space—on your lap or in the rocker beside you—for anyone who wants to join. It's in the interruptions and detours that you'll discover the answers to your prayers and meet the very people with whom God wants you to pour back into what He’s just put inside of you.
