By Lilly Lewin
Read Luke 1:26-38 THE MESSAGE
26-28 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean
village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:
Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.
29-33 She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great,
be called ‘Son of the Highest.’
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob’s house forever—
no end, ever, to his kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.”
35 The angel answered,
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.
36-38 “And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”
And Mary said,
Yes, I see it all now:
I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
just as you say.
Then the angel left her.
I cannot stand interruptions! I like being in control of my time and my day. I like having a plan and seeing it through. But honestly, most of us have lives filled with interruptions. Filled with texts and emails that change our day because someone needs something or someone has forgotten their lunch, gym bag or their instrument. Or someone gets sick and needs a ride to the doctor. Or the puppy poops on the floor. Sometimes bigger things happen like you find out that your test results were bad or your job is being terminated. Can we see even these interruptions as Gifts?
Mary was planning a wedding, just enjoying being engaged when the Angel showed up and told her she was going to be the mother of Jesus. Mary was shocked but she didn’t shy away from what was ahead. Mary allowed God to totally interrupt her life.
The entire Christmas story is about Interruptions….and how people responded to these God gifts of Interruption. Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, the Magi, they all were interrupted by the arrival of Jesus.
Think about the interruptions you’ve had in your life ….
Today, This Week, This Month, This Year….
Are you willing to receive the gift of interruption?
Are you wiling to allow God to interrupt your plans, your ways, your hopes?
And even your dreams? Are you willing to allow Jesus to interrupt you and your plans?
Are you willing to be willing?
Consider how God has interrupted you this past year. How has this changed/affected your life? Take some time today or this weekend to consider the Gifts of Interruption. And as you are interrupted today, this week, this month, instead of freaking out, ask God to help you receive the Gift of Interruption and see where it leads.
“Be alert, be alert, so that you will be able to recognize your Lord in your husband, in your wife, your parents, your children, your friends, your teachers, but also in all that you read in the daily newspapers. The Lord is coming, always coming. Be alert to his coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord… ” Henri Nouwen