Being Interrupted
Lucy Holt
Then Jesus said to her, 'Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.' And her daughter was healed at that moment.
(Matthew 15: 28)
We are currently on holiday, staying in a beautiful studio cottage. I think this layout and size would be my absolute dream space to retreat on my own for a few months and just write and think.
But I am not here by myself. I am a sharing the single living space (plus, fortunately, separate bathroom) with my husband, teenage daughter and two dogs. It's still beautiful and still relaxing, but requires a certain amount of grace to move around each other at different times of the day.
I have realised, in the latest season of learning about self-care and resilience, that I need to have times without interruption. I think this is what was exhausting about parenting young children: that way you are never really off-duty because little people need attention, food, toileting at very frequent and unexpected intervals.
Even now that my children are bigger than me and very capable, their needs break into my timeline. Sudden requests for lifts, help, advice or food-tech ingredients appear unexpectedly and urgently in my schedule. I wouldn't swap this - their interruptions are wonderful - but it does mean the occasional hour or day when I am by myself is very precious.
This is made me think about prayer. In a way, human prayer is always us interrupting God. Not just from His present task or cup of tea, but from His complete and sufficient timeless existence. He is fine without us, He does not need us, but He not only tolerates our interruptions He welcomes them.
There are many stories in the Old and New Testaments where people interrupt God, or God speaks and interrupts the lives of people. Samuel hearing the mysterious voice calling his name, and Moses seeing the burning bush are both times when characters aren't looking for God at that moment. At the very start of the New Testament, Mary is interrupted by an angel.
In the Gospel stories during Jesus’ ministry, He is constantly interrupted by people asking for healing and forgiveness. The Canaanite woman, in the verse above, persists in asking for help three times. Similar interruptions are the woman who reaches out to touch the hem of Jesus’ cloak, and the man who is lowered through a roof on a mat.
They interrupt Jesus in ways which feel uncomfortable to our British love of orderly queuing for attention. Jesus welcomes the interruptions and sees it as a sign of faith.
This week think about making space to hear God. Whether it's a short time or long time, whether it's the same each day or different, try and be ready for God's interruptions. Also remember that throughout the week, whatever you are facing, the God of the Universe is happy to be interrupted by you.
