My Time is Not My Own
by Rachel Bunn
What do you do when you’re interrupted?
Do you smile compassionately, stop what you’re doing completely, and open your hands to the need without a second thought?
Do you take a deep breath, exhale, and answer while still washing or folding, typing or scrolling?
Do you grumble and huff as you roll your eyes? Maybe even put a hand to your forehead or stomp your foot in exasperation?
Because if you were asking me this question, 90% of the time I would not be proud of my answer.
I like to really focus when I am busy, no matter what the task. And while interruptions are a normal part of this life, I sometimes wish my iPhone’s Do Not Disturb feature could apply to more than just app notifications.
Most of us would agree that making plans, having agendas, and working diligently with focus and energy is not a bad thing. As Christians, our work, inside or outside the home, is a blessing from God and is a way for us to image our Creator and glorify Him. There will also be times when we will need to say no and reduce our obligations. It is good to have healthy boundaries around demands to ensure that we have time for different priorities depending on different seasons of our lives, as well as giving us the ability to rest.
However, I’ve noticed that the moments when I struggle to handle interruptions or demands with kindness, it’s usually because I have chosen to do the wrong thing at the wrong time. I am working when I should be resting, decompressing when I should be tidying, cleaning when I should be playing, or talking when I should be listening. Ironically, I can even become irritated when something interrupts me while reading my Bible! And I once heard that “irritation” can be defined as “anger that results from entitlement.”
Ouch.
God of All Time
With my brain I confirm “My God is sovereign over time and all Creation!” and with my actions, I proclaim “How could you cross me? Don’t you know who I am and what I am doing?!” How I react to life’s inevitable interruptions exposes my doubt in God.
Our exalted God is transcendent over time and space (Psalm 57:5, Deuteronomy 4:39), is present everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10), and is all-powerful and totally in control of all things (Job 42:2, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 46:9-10). If I have a right view of God and of myself, then this interruption that has “disrupted” my plans is God-ordained.
Monks in a monastery listen for the “monastic bell” signifying the start of the day’s next activity, be it prayer, meals, work, or sleep. St. Bernard of France wrote to his monks that whenever the bell rang, they were to stop what they were doing immediately, even laying down their pen mid-sentence, to respond. This practice of responsiveness is not necessarily to respond because you want to, “but because it’s time for that task and time isn’t your time, it’s God’s time” (The Domestic Monastery, Rolheiser).
Interruptions challenge and stretch us to see past our own agenda to God’s agenda. So when my child comes to me with a need or an employee emails with an unexpected request, it is not just good and compassionate to respond well, but in doing so, I am acknowledging and obeying the One who orchestrates all of my days (Psalm 139:16, Psalm 90).
Jesus was Interruptable
I look frazzled during interruptions, but I want to look more like Jesus. And if I look at Jesus’s life, I see a man ready to be interrupted. The Gospels are full of examples of Jesus being interrupted by people, strangers and friends alike. People interrupted his teaching (Luke 5:17-26), his travel (Luke 8:41-48), and even chased him down when he was grieving (Matthew 14:1-13). Jesus met these demands and disruptions with compassion (Matthew 14:14), though he was exhausted. He healed them, listened to them, provided for them, and more importantly, forgave their sins. Through these interruptions, Jesus perfectly fulfilled his purpose and accomplished his Father’s will by serving the very people who disrupted his days.
God is asking us to be a part of building His Kingdom and to be on the lookout for people to invite along. Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35b, NIV). I want to be aware of how I can invite others into my life and my routine. I want to be a part of God’s redemption and restoration of His people through every interruption, not despite them.
So what do I do?
I repent of my idolatry of control, comfort, and success - of selfishly building my own kingdom.
I thank God for His rule over my life through His perfect and infinite wisdom, goodness, and mercy through Jesus.
I ask the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom to discern what God wants me to do in each circumstance.
I respond and love the people around me with compassion and grace as Jesus has responded to and loved me first.
Believer, your next interruption is an opportunity to join in God’s Kingdom Work! The Holy Spirit is with you and supplies you with everything you need to respond like Jesus to those demands. And there is grace and mercy for when we fail (Lamentations 3:22-23).
C.S Lewis wrote, “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life—the life God is sending one day by day.”
May we seek to respond in faith to interruptions and live the life God is sending to us, day by day.