Interruptions

I'm not so good with things that interrupt what I am doing or what I have planned to do. I tend to be task-focused.

Because of that orientation, I am a great list-maker. At any given time, I have lists of things to do at the office, another list of things to do at the house, possibly a grocery list, and maybe some other lists as well.

I calculate in my mind just how many things I can check off before noon, what I can get done today or this week, and on and on. I have it all planned out.

And as a result, I don't do well with interruptions.

I know my life is in sharp contrast to the pattern Jesus demonstrates.

He tells his disciples that he has come to teach the people, and more than once as he prepares to teach, he is interrupted by people bringing their sick to him for healing -- even taking off the roof to lower a man close to Jesus! Each time he has compassion for them, and his plans to teach are delayed while he takes time to heal.

In Luke 13 when he is teaching in a synagogue, he sees a woman crippled for 18 years who can't even stand up straight -- so he interrupts his own lesson to heal her.

He has plans for getting away for some down time (Mark 6:31) but the people follow him. He has compassion for them, allows his rest to be interrupted, and teaches them. He even feeds them dinner --- not what he had planned.

Over and over, Jesus demonstrates that loving God and loving your neighbor means that you respond to people when they need you -- regardless of what you had planned instead.

People are more important than To Do lists.

The interruptions of my plans might just be the most important things I do.