“We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you this special announcement.” Do you remember those words cutting in while you were watching TV? The interruption was usually followed by a piece of breaking news about the death of someone noteworthy or a shocking event. Once the news anchor shared the information, he or she would end by saying, “And now, back to our regularly scheduled program.”
Many of us view interruptions to our lives as detractors from our “regularly scheduled programs,” don’t we? Whether it’s minor annoyances or major events, we don’t like having our plans derailed. This makes me think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who experienced the most profound life interruption of all. We learn in Luke 1 that she was a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. During a shocking visit by the angel, Gabriel, Mary learns that God has chosen her to be the mother to the Messiah and that the child will be conceived miraculously by the Holy Spirit. Despite her fears and questions, Mary responds to the angel’s news by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant…May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38, NIV)
Think about the plans she must have been making for her upcoming wedding and the dreams she had for her life with Joseph. Imagine how upsetting it would have been when Gabriel appeared to tell her God had a different plan in mind for her. Most of us don’t like even small interruptions to our plans, but Mary’s story helps us see that interruptions are invitations into God’s bigger story. Her example can inspire us to shift our perspectives so we can be open to how God may want use interruptions for His greater purposes.
As an unwed teenager, Mary’s pregnancy could have caused many hardships for her, including accusations of adultery and rejection by Joseph, judgement from her community, and even eligibility for the death penalty. In spite of these challenges, she saw herself as God’s servant and agreed to go along with His plan. She didn’t know how things would work out, but she did know who would work them out for her. She trusted God and didn’t fret about all of the potential problems that lay ahead. She was open to Him, no matter how disruptive His plans would be to her life. It’s humbling, isn’t it?
It could be tempting to view Mary’s story as a one-time miraculous occurrence and to read it without considering how we can apply it personally. However, her response can challenge us to be mindful of the ways He wants to bless too. Scripture shows us that trusting God turns interruptions into “unanticipated opportunities.” Consider this perspective: “God’s plan for the world is disruptive: it breaks into our daily lives and calls us beyond our own concerns. It breaks into history and calls us beyond what conventional wisdom or societal expectations would demand. It bores into our hearts and turns our attention from ourselves onto others and orients us to God.”1
Although I’ve never been visited personally by an angel, God has placed some major interruptions in my life to invite me into His bigger story. This doesn’t necessarily mean something that is public or affects a huge number of people. God’s bigger story can be any situation that refines our characters, prompts spiritual growth, or impacts others.
I experienced one of these “unanticipated opportunities” over a two-and-a-half-year span as my mom’s health started to fail. Once stubborn and independent, she began needing more and more support to deal with every aspect of her life. Since I was the only one of her kids who lived nearby, I gradually began managing her medical care, housing, finances, insurance, and social connections.
Caring for my mom was incredibly challenging with the other responsibilities already on my plate. There were many times when I felt overwhelmed, anxious, and even a bit resentful. At first, I saw meeting her needs and taking her to appointments as interruptions to my regularly scheduled life. I would squeeze them into my packed schedule and often feel anxious and impatient when they took longer than anticipated. But over time, the Holy Spirit helped me to see them as opportunities to love and care for my mom. As I slowed down and made more time for her, our relationship changed for the better.
I often prayed borrowing Paul’s words from Colossians 1:11, asking God to strengthen me with His power so that I would have endurance and patience with my mom. He answered those prayers and also gave me a compassion for her that I hadn’t felt previously. Over two years, the Lord helped me to prioritize my time and enabled me to find a rhythm that allowed for a tender relationship to develop between us. I was so grateful for this when she was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
My involvement with my mom intensified during her four months on hospice. I didn’t think twice about clearing my schedule and managing her care. God had used the previous interruptions to prepare me for this last big one. We had some sweet moments together in the four months before she went home to the Lord. Although it was a deeply painful season in my life, God enabled me to honor, serve, and love her with both words and actions. I would have missed out on some significant moments if I’d been unwilling to yield to that divine interruption.
Think about what Mary would have missed if she’d refused to be interrupted by God. What if she’d told Him she wasn’t interested in having Him wreck her plans? I think her example can be an inspiration for each of us to consider how God’s interruptions are invitations into His bigger story.
I know it seems counter-intuitive to lean into what causes pain and frustration, but will you pray and ask God to give you an attitude like Mary’s? The Lord can use whatever interruption you’re facing to transform you and to bless others through you. It’s a hard process, but also an opportunity to feel God’s nearness and to access His strength in ways we don’t experience in good times.
Let the words of “Breath or Heaven (Mary’s Song)” by Leanna Crawford become your prayer through whatever interruption you’re encountering in this season. Click here to listen.
1. “Mother Mary and Father Abraham: Vocation as Participation in God’s Incredible Plan” by Katharine Mahon, 7-14-17. Click here to read the full article.