My personal expectations have a lot to do with my satisfaction in life. As a child, I grew up hearing about how important it was to serve God, be a good student, obey my parents, hang out with the right friends, have my personal devotional life, and make something of myself. I think that these expectations morphed into the adult expectations of being a mature Christian, loving my spouse, raising godly children, exhibiting productivity in my work, caring for others, having availability to help others, and acting as a responsible citizen.
I found myself trying to fit all of these competing demands into a life that seemed to have too many responsibilities still left undone at the end of each day…spending time with my wife, mowing the lawn, washing dishes, reading to our kids, overseeing homework, helping neighbors, getting in some exercise, etc. I did my best to manage my time and get everything accomplished that was important and necessary to do.
The most challenging for me were the daily interruptions. I could be helping to clean the kitchen after supper and a squabble would break out with our children. I needed to stop what I was doing and attend to them with maturity, calmness, and love which by evening could be in short supply. I found that interruptions in my carefully planned work day were also hard to manage. What I had planned to do piled up while I stopped to attend to a student, a colleague, a phone call, or a family situation. I still had to figure out how to get my work done…work that was often put on hold.
I believe that you, the reader, can relate. You have your own interruption stories. Think about how you felt in those times when you had to work extra hard to respond with grace and love while being inconvenienced or interrupted.
I didn’t yet realize that my belief in reinforcing interruptions as a distraction needed to change.
I clearly remember the moment when my expectations about interruptions were directly challenged and I discovered a freedom that my heart longed for. In the end, the Holy Spirit was able to grow me and transform me to see my life more from His position than from mine.
This change began to happen quite unexpectedly. I had gone to the office of a colleague and when I headed for the door to leave, I noticed a sign above the doorway that read, “The interruptions are my work.” – Henri Nouwen.
Nouwen penned how this statement made a significant impact on his life.
While visiting the University of Notre Dame, where I had been a teacher for a few years, I met an older experienced professor who had spent most of his life there. And while we strolled over the beautiful campus, he said with a certain melancholy in his voice, “You know… my whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered that my interruptions were my work.”
Henri J. M. Nouwen, Reaching Out
Incredible! Crying children, phone calls, electrical outages, neighborhood needs, sibling arguments, flat tires, and “Hey, can I talk with you?” are all a part of the work God has called me to. It is the work of presence, service, meeting needs, caring for others, extending value, self-sacrifice, teachable moments, and expressing genuine love. It is how the gospel has flesh on it! The unplanned interruptions allowed (or planned) by the Holy Spirit let the power of a life changed by God shine in a spontaneous way!
I’ve been practicing the ministry of interruptions ever since. And, you know what? I still am able to get everything I need to get done finished… just in a different order.
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