Interruptions

Last night I went to the store because I remembered late that I had run out of coffee creamer.  I was really

tired and could have gone without but something urged me to get there and I'm glad I went.  While at the store I saw a little boy that I felt like I was supposed to pray for.  I've seen him around town before, and each time I have felt the same way - an urgent tugging in my heart to pray for him.  I wish I knew his story but I don't so can only pray general things.  I am thankful for the holy spirit's presence in my life to give these urgings and I'm thankful that I have a God who listens to my prayers.  In order for God to use me this way I have to be paying attention though.  If I am not in spending time with God in the Word and praying I'm going to miss these opportunities because  I won't be sensitive to the holy spirit's leading.

Sometimes I need to remember that interruptions are the holy spirits leading.  One of the hardest things for me about being a mom is being interrupted.  I do not switch gears easily.  I wish I did but I don't.  These interruptions are important though.  They have led to conversations and teaching times with my kids that needed to happen.  I am mostly at home because my kids are young so that's where I feel it  but interruptions can come from other places as well.  An unexpected "stop by" or phone call, a long wait at the grocery store or pharmacy, car trouble, flat tires...We often miss opportunities to pray and minister to others because we are frustrated that things aren't going according to our plan.   I've heard it said that we should think of these  interruptions as "God appointments".  I need to remember to pray that God would order my day - that I would go along with His plan for my day.  When I do pray this, I handle these God appointments, or changes to my plan, better.

I go to a mom's group called Mom's Time Out and last year one of the speakers talked about how God used her when her children were small.  She and her husband are missionaries and they would often have people to their home.  It seemed like things in the conversation would just be getting to a crucial place when one of their babies would wake up and she'd have to leave.  At first she was frustrated at the interruption but then started looking at it differently.  When she was called away to deal with the child she would pray for her husband and the person he was talking to.  And that was her part of the ministry.  She spent a lot of years in back rooms rocking babies and praying and feels like it has made a difference.

When we are faced with an unexpected bump in our day we may see immediately how God used it but we may not.  We may never know how the words we say or the prayers we prayed affected things but it does have an impact.  I don't know if I will ever meet that little boy or find out his name.  I am confident that God brought him across my path because for some reason he needs prayers.  And so I'm gonna pray.