We INTERRUPT This Blog... (edited 10:45 a.m.)

documentation of my day:

get up, showered, dressed.
go to work - be there by 8 a.m.

Ok, just kidding. I'm about to lose the few readers of my blog that I have if I do that again. Seriously, it was a crazy, busy day at work today! I think some of the children are losing their minds during this last quarter of the school year, which in turn causes some of the staff (me included!) to lose their minds as well. (a friend mentioned to me that we just had a FULL MOON, so maybe that plus spring fever is the issue!! ha!!)

Thankfully, our pastor had a wonderful message at tonight's mid-week service - and I was allowed to sit in on the sermon instead of work in the children's program as I often do. The principles the passage of Scripture evoked are, as usual, NOT original to me - but the application is my own.

Mark chapter 6, verses 30-56. The famous "Fish & Loaves" story or "The Feeding of the 5,000." Usually, when I've heard the story, the focus is on the little boy (not mentioned in Mark but in another Gospel's telling of the story) giving up his lunch of 5 loaves & 2 fishes, or the focus is just on the miracle itself - how the food multiplied to feed the gathered crowd with LEFT OVERS!!

Tonight, however, we focused on the disciples' role in this event. If you read Mark chapter 6, you'll find Jesus had told His disciples it was time to get away for a rest because they had hardly even had time to eat while being thronged by people wanting to hear Jesus (vs. 31). HOWEVER, instead of getting AWAY, the disciples and Jesus were found by another huge crowd, and because of Jesus' compassion (vs. 34), He began to teach them. Soon it was late, and everyone was hungry - and the disciples were ready for the crowds to go away to find their own food...but instead, we know that Jesus fed the 5,000 plus women & children (according to another Gospel account). Verse 52 reveals to us that the attitude of the disciples was NOT right when it came to this event!! Their hearts were hard despite having seen what just happened! Perhaps the familiarity with Jesus had caused them to take this miracle for granted. They seemed to resent the interruption of their original plans. uh ohhhhh.....

Suddenly this story struck a chord! Today at work, I spent my day being interrupted! Granted part of my job as a church/school secretary is to deal with the interruptions, but it seemed like today there were EXTRA ones thrown in. It probably seemed more so because I had a long to-do list, and I am the type of person who needs peace and quiet and uninterrupted thinking to accomplish anything well. Perhaps one day I will have an office with a door to close while I count money, do accounting, attempt to type an entire paper without stopping in the middle of a sentence, etc. but until then, this is how it is. Ringing phones, visitors stopping by, students needing band-aids, teachers needing copies, and other interruptions are part of my job right now.

Jesus wasn't inconvenienced by peoples' needs. Granted, He is perfect (!!), but interruptions of His plans wasn't something that frustrated Him. I think I need to learn what the disciples learned on this day. Once they got their hearts right (after going through a STORM, calmed by Jesus - vs. 45-51), they were focused again on their purpose - reaching people (vs. 54-56); so much so that the Bible says they "ran through that whole region round about" to minister! I'm beginning to think interruptions are sometimes just a re-direction of my plans to bring focus back to what (and who) is most important.

EDIT/AFTERTHOUGHT: My friend Amy left me a comment with a quote that I wish I could embroider on a sampler (if I could just find time to do needle-work without interruption!): her friend has a sign over her back door that states, "Interruptions are my ministry." As a mom, an employee, a church member, a friend, interruptions are a part of life - and can be turned into a part of a ministry to a child, a co-worker, a parishioner, or a loved one. I realize there are times for balance, when someone has to put off helping someone else and prioritize and use time management (or avoid being taken advantage of!) - but I'm talking about taking the opportunity to stop and help when one is able to.