Divine Interruptions

It’s December. And things are gonna get busy. And that’s good. I have some wonderful things planned on my calendar for this month. Lots of church activities, most of my children coming home for the holidays, parades, and decorating, and parties.

            Of course we have extra Advent and Christmas worships services planned in the two churches I serve as well. December is busy.

            But in all the business and caroling and coming and going this month, don’t miss the people. Jesus never did, even when things got crazy busy in His life. People are the reason He came in the first place, so people were always at the core of what He did.

            This intentional people focus carried over (at least initially) into the earliest ministries of the apostles. One of my favorite healing stories in the Bible is found in Acts 3:1-10. The story is that Peter and John were going to the temple at 3PM (a designated time of prayer) and they come upon a man who is lame laying at one of temple gates begging for money. He had the modern day equivalent of his cardboard sign with his ailments listed, and Styrofoam cup for change to be dropped in. And the people kept passing by, maybe a few dropped a coin into his cup. This was his life, day in day out, day after day. Laying there because he couldn’t get up. Laying outside the temple because he wasn’t allowed to go in. Laying there asking for money because that’s what he thought he needed. Laying at a gate called “Beautiful”, even though his situation in life was far from it.

            And then “one day” (verse 1) everything changed. One day that seemed like it would be just like any other day. Just another day of begging from people as they were headed into the temple. Just another day of being carried to the temple, then being carried back home. But this “one day” would be like no other day.

            “Peter looked straight at him, as did John” (3:4). I love that intentionality, Peter and John looked at him. Maybe you’re thinking, ‘well, of course they did, they saw him so they had to look at him’. But I wonder how often we over look other people. Maybe it’s not even intentional, though at times I believe we do choose to look away from the cardboard holding-Styrofoam cup beggars that we walk by. Jesus always saw the people, seeing their needs, and having compassion on them in love. And so Peter and John really “sees” this unnamed man at the temple gate. And they stop. While all the other people stroll on by, Peter and John stop and look straight at him. I love this because it’s an interruption to what Peter and John had scheduled. They’re on their way to church. Most people I know don’t want any interruptions in life, especially when they’re on their way to church (usually because they’re already running late!).

            Be aware of the divine interruptions God gives you this month.

            And so after offering this man healing in the name of Jesus, Peter took “him by the right hand and helped him up” (3:7).

            I know that it was the healing work of Jesus that allowed this man to walk again. But Peter helped him up, and then after being helped up, “the man’s feet and ankles became strong” (3:7).

            This month maybe we can look for the interruptions in our regularly scheduled activities as opportunities rather than distractions. Perhaps we could focus on seeing all the people as Jesus sees us, and when a divine interruption presents itself, maybe we could help someone up by reaching out our hand and taking their hand in ours. I think that’s a beautiful image of what the church is called to be, an image of who we are called to be; trusting God, looking for opportunities to share His love and grace, and helping others up who don’t even know that they can stand on their own yet.