Divine Interruptions

           Isn't it interesting how often the silliest and most petty things can annoy us, and yet they can be the most wonderful gifts from God. It isn't often the big challenges that beat me up; those are obvious. I'm ready for those fights. They are so in your face, they can't be ignored or overlooked. Sometimes the enemy masquarades as an angel of light; other times he's full on red jump suit, pitchfork and long pointy tale. But it's the smaller, less obvious, more insidious things that are likely to trip me up. Yet, when I put my annoyance aside, I often find that God has something else in mind and maybe, just maybe, it's better than my own desires.

           OK, so I feel ridiculous even saying what it was that bothered me on Friday (so I won't), but on our way back from the islands, something happened that annoyed me. I ended up having to sit in part of the boat that I didn't want to be in because I alway get sick when I'm sitting there. Whereas I usually don't mind getting wet, it aggravated me that day. And there was no escaping the constant spray of water that kept jumping in from the side of the boat. The lake was pretty rough that day, so I felt even more sick in that section than I usually do. The water was getting on my nerves. I prayed silently, God, what is the point of this? I could have sworn I heard Him say, Because I'm here and I want to talk to you.

There in the boat, in the sick section, Jesus was waiting to talk to me. Not rebuke me, or chide me or say anything radical. . .He just wanted to hang out with me. I felt like the disciples when they realized that the God who made the lake and the storm that they were stuck in, was the same guy that was sleeping in their boat. The God who create Lake Victoria, the waves that were throwing us around, the body and equilibrium that was making me sick in reponse to the motion of the our vessel, was sitting beside me wanting to just chat. And we did. He stills my heart and I am able to pour it out to Him, the things that burden me, lift me, confuse me or make sense to me. But that's not even the best part. The boat ride from Zinga back to church is almost 2 hours, so there is plenty of time. And when the Lord stills my heart, it allows me to hear Him speak too. Sometimes He answers my questions, sometimes He shares His heart with me, sometimes He asks me the deep, probing questions that I fear to answer but in the safety of the moment and the solitude of the conversation, I am able to face the fears that no one else knows about and bring them to Jesus who alone is able to dissolve them in light of His all sufficient power. The boat rides from the islands truly have become the most spiritually engaging and best times of fellowship I have with the Lord.

          And to think, I was annoyed because of an off seating arrangement! Maybe next tie that happens, I will recognize it as a divine interruption and like Paul did, when the Lord refused to let him go to Asia and Bithynia, conclude that the Lord has called me elsewhere. And it isn't always some radical call, some crazy mission or some tremendous battle to fight; it often just a call to be quiet and spend some time with Him. That's the only place we learn to recognize the radical call, the crazy mission and get the strength to fight the battles. How cool is our God?

And behold,, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks into pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquakee, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah hear it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.


1 Kings 19:11-13