Interruptions and Insight

I am doing a study on the life of Jonah. Who would have ever thought that there would be so much insight in a little book of the Bible about a guy who ran away from God and got swallowed by a great big fish?


I have hosted a Wednesday night ladies Bible study in my home for almost 8 years now. We have taken time off here and there for different reasons; but for the most part, my den is full of women on Wednesday evenings. The faces have changed over the years. Some have been here the whole time. Some have come in and out and some are new this study. Every time I start a new study, I pray for the women that God wants to be here. And He never disappoints. But it never looks the way I think it will.


The name of this study is Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted. And who can not relate to interruptions? The women that sit in my den week after week have had some pretty heavy interruptions in their lives. Some have lost children. Some have lost spouses. Some have lost marriages. Some have lost jobs. There are the moms who are navigating the world of young children and moms that are learning what life is like when their children leave home. There are women navigating God's call on their lives and where He is leading them. There are women learning to face their fears and women who are learning to navigate a life away from the lies they have believed for so long.  The wisdom and "life knowledge" in that one room is astounding.


This week we talked about what interruptions look like and how we respond to them. As we shared what we had learned in our homework, it occurred to me that we seem to focus on the "big" interruptions of life because they are so obvious. But what about the everyday, every hour, even every minute interruptions?


Jonah was called by God to switch directions in the middle of a life that was going pretty well. He was told to go to a place that, not only was he scared of, but that was full of people he thought were beyond reach. Talk about a big interruption. We can relate to the reason he ran, can't we? But what about those little things that change our direction everyday. Those feelings. Those people. Those children. That spouse. That job. How do we respond to those interruptions?


One of my favorite quotes is by A. W. Tozer. "What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us." How true is that? When those little interruptions come, how do we view them? What do they make us think about God?


At the end of each week of study there is a section to write down the main principles that most impacted us and can be of help to us as we journey through the interrupted life. These were my points this week:


1. What is my perspective of God? Do I see Him as an interruption?
2. Can I be used by God in a significant way?
3. What part of God do people see in my story?
4. Am I taking ownership in something that I should just be managing?
5. If the ultimate goal is for Jesus to be known among men and the nations, what is my part and calling?


As I end another busy week and look forward to a busy weekend, I am thinking about these questions. What about you? How do you feel about life's interruptions? What are you learning about God through them? I would love to hear your thoughts and your stories!