I heard the bell buzz over the intercom and groaned inwardly. I was supposed to put down my work and enter the chapel for prayer, but I wanted just a few more minutes to complete my task first.
However, I knew obedience to the schedule was what God wanted of me right then. At the time, I was in my 20s and attending a six-week-long retreat to discern a religious vocation. After my conversion back to the Faith, God was doing many things to my heart, and I was slowly learning how to love Him above all else.
Eventually, I realized I was called to the vocation of marriage and motherhood, and not the religious life, but God kept echoing the Scripture, "Obedience is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22) in my heart. This time, instead of a physical bell calling me to the next task, it was a child that needed me to stop and help him or it was a friend that called me in tears and needed comfort. Sometimes it was the whisper of Jesus in the tabernacle that beckoned me to stop my car and make a quick visit to our local chapel.
Admittedly, I am not walking around like a Saint just floating from one Heaven-sent task to the next. I’m more likely trying not to scream and lose my patience when one more interruption stops me from following my schedule or to-do list.
It’s during that frustration that we can readjust our attitudes and see these “interruptions” as little calls from God. They can be opportunities for us to spread His love to another person or to help rid us of our self-centeredness and focus on the needs of another. Humble obedience becomes a sacrifice of love.
This inspirational woman also describes the interruptions as invitations from the Lord. Can we view them as that today?
Bobbi Rol is a wife, mama and blogger living on the Monterey Bay in CA with her husband, teen daughter, and three rambunctious boys. When she is not dodging light sabers or stepping on Legos, she can be found outside with her family, catching a late night movie, or decorating her planner. She is a contributing author to our children's devotional prayer book called Rise Up. You can find out more about her here.
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