drop everything?

Are you a "drop everything and run" type of person?

I've recently (and by recently I mean like last week) been reading a daily devotional that my BFF, Nic, encouraged me to sign up for... Surprisngly, I'll admit, I was a little groaning when I read the email she sent. 'Good for her' I thought (and she knows this) but I don't want to. I told her I didn't want another "something" coming every single day. Oy. I already delete about 4 - 10 emails each day without reading them from this book store or this website or that survey or oror... I didn't want another email coming day in and day out. however, I couldn't actually close the tab I'd opened. I felt guilty saying no to having God's WORD come to my in box. If I wanted to delete the other stuff, I still could. But was I really saying that I had not enough time to sit down and read ONE email I knew would be chalked full of stories and scripture?? Harmph. I still didn't want to, but dragging my feet, I decided to sign up. What could it hurt right? ...

That was Wed last week.

Thursday, this was the devotional:


"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)


I wonder if the greatest witnessing tool available to us Christians is often pushed aside because of our busyness.

The other day I was focused on all the items on my seemingly never ending to do list. As I was sitting at a stoplight a friend called me and started lamenting that her son had forgotten his lunch and his belt required by the school's uniform policy. She was stressed and trying to get in touch with her husband who'd just dropped her son off at school. She was at home with a new baby feeling groggy from a sleepless night and overwhelmed by her situation.

Her son could probably get his friends to share their lunches with him. But, the belt would be a problem. The school would call her when they noticed the missing belt and require her to bring one. She lives over 20 minutes from the school.

As I sat at the stoplight listening to my friend, I looked to the store off to my right. That store has belts. That store has lunch food. I was faced with a decision. Could I help? Well, I could but my schedule would have to be rearranged a bit. Would I help? My friend wasn't asking but in that moment I knew it would be a tremendous blessing for her.

This day I wouldn't let my busyness take precedence over the blessing of divine interruptions and opportunities to love. So, I helped.

I don't know this for sure but I suspect my friend had been asking Jesus to please help her. It's hard being up half the night with a sleepless baby. It's hard to find a new normal when life gets a little off kilter by changes in the family dynamic. It's hard when you need help but feel like everyone is so busy you hate to bother them.

Now, I'll admit, I'm a task-oriented person so it doesn't come naturally for me to look for ways to be interrupted in the midst of my busyness. But sitting at that stoplight, I realized the power of pausing. Pausing just long enough for Jesus to tap on the edge of my heart and say, "Could you? Would you? Do this as if it's the most important part of your day and not an unwelcome interruption."

The Bible teaches one of the most important precepts is love. When we love others we are living the message of Jesus. And listen to what Psalm 19:8 says, "The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

Oh how many times have I missed the joy of pausing to live and love and light the world for Jesus?

Dear Lord, help me to pause today and remember my great witnessing tool is to simply be available to love others. Show me where I can love. Make me courageous enough to step aside my carefully planned to do list and look for ways to be an answer to the prayers someone has prayed today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Good huh? Really something to think about... can I allow myself to be interrupted when the time comes, if there is need? "Sure" I thought to myself. And went about my day, not giving it a second thought...

Even when the need arose, I didn't think ... I just acted... and man, did the need arise.

Thursday afternoon at 4pm, a dear friend of mine who'd recently moved... called and tried to talk to me. She wasn't making any sense and she was having trouble speaking, slurring her words together. This would be bad enough on it's own but she was on day 5, 6, 7? of major pounding migraines that wouldn't stop... All I could think about was getting to her. To make this long story very short... I got off the phone with her, made arrangements with my husband, for my children, found someone to ride with me and hit the road, driving 7 hours to be at her side with out a moment's hesitation. Nic asked me that night as I was driving, if I'd read the devotional... I paused while we talked and thought back to it. Yes, I had read it. I hadn't thought about it much ... but... it was like it was written to prepare me for the weekend to come. ... and I wasn't sure on Monday if I'd really needed a devotional to come every day to my inbox. HA! HOW RUDE OF ME!!!! to think I didn't need God's Word on a daily basis intermixed with all that junk mail....

After we arrived to friend's side ... and again super long story short, got her to the doctor, back home, to the hospital, picked up her mom from the airport the next day, worked with the doctors who worked with red cross who worked with the ARMY to get her husband back to her (as he was on base elsewhere)... we came back home to our families, 3 days later.

Whether you are willing to be interrupted for a morning, for a belt...
or for a weekend for an ill friend...
the question is ARE YOU WILLING?

If you had to, if you were asked to, if you were feeling a pull in your heart, to drop everything and run..... for a moment? for a morning? for a day? for a weekend? a month? a year? ...

Could you? Would you?

Shouldn't we?!

Please know that I'm NOT saying any of this to toot my own horn or anything of the like... I'm simply just a vessle that God was able to use this weekend when no one else could come... I'm honored to have a husband who understands me and allows me to drop everything when I'm called upon. I'm blessed to have my family as a close knit unit. ... And above all, I'm blessed to have a God who's already gone before me and is preparing me a place.... GOD IS SO AMAZING. He was willing to drop EVERYTHING for us... we should be willing to drop everything when we're called upon.

I'd also like to recommend the Proverbs 31 ministries daily devotional. Today's was also good... don't delay, sign up for the devotionals, get God's word coming to your inbox daily instead of the jokes or forwards, take the time to read this email every day. Who knows, in the devotional, He may be equipping YOU to drop everything...