Today’s Post By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
“I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23)
Have you ever had one of those days when things just aren’t going as you had planned? God has such a sense of humor! He is always giving me real life experiences to drive home a point He’s trying to teach.
One particular morning when I woke up, I realized that I had the entire day to be at home, so I mapped out a mental plan of all the things I needed to accomplish. Since I hadn’t had day at home in a while, I had much to do.
As always, my morning began with me sitting in my living room to meet with the Lord. This is my favorite time of day. I am very blessed to be in a season of life where I can linger in my quiet time with God.
Shortly after I sat down, the phone rang. It was a dear friend so I answered it. While we were talking, another call beeped in… it was my sister. After I got off the phone I tried to call my sister back, but she was almost to work and said she would call me later. That was fine because I needed to get back to my study – I had a lot to do.
I opened my devotion book and the phone rang again. This time it was my daughter, so of course I answered it. She needed me to check on something for her, so I did. We chatted for a little while, and then I got off the phone and went back to my study materials.
Now becoming engrossed in what I was reading, the phone rang again… another dear friend. We hadn’t talked in a week, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Knowing her schedule is busy, and we may not get another opportunity to talk in a while, I put down my book so we could chat.
An hour later, I returned to my bible study. The day was more than half over and I hadn’t accomplished a single thing on my “to do” list. And thus became the pattern for my entire day – one interruption after another.
Ironically, my study that morning talked about how we can sometimes get frustrated when our plans get interrupted. I am the first to admit that each and every one of these calls was very important; they just didn’t fit in with my plan for the day. Just about the time I was becoming slightly frustrated, God set me straight with the following reading in my Bible study lesson:
When we signed up to follow Christ, we automatically signed up to be open to “Divine Intervention” – God interruptions. While His “call” might not always be convenient or easy, responding to it should not just be a duty, but our joy. We are getting the honor of partnering with the Lord in His purposes for this generation…. Partnering with Him doesn’t mean having no plans and ambitions of your own. It means holding them loosely, always leaving room for “the work of the Lord” reshaping your purposes and aligning them with His own. (Priscilla Shirer, Jonah – Life Interrupted)
God never wastes an opportunity to bring His lessons to life. From now on I’m hanging on to my plans a little more loosely. : )
“I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)
“Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” (Psalm 43:3)
Love your blog! I certainly can relate to this one. God bless you for your sharing.