When looking into the lifestyle of Jesus, one of the most amazing characteristics of His is the way He is so compassionately open to those who “disrupt” His plans. Whether it’s by someone cutting a hole in the ceiling and dropping their friend at His feet to get healed (Luke 5:17-22), or two blind men shouting for just a second of Jesus’ time as He walks by (Matthew 20:29-34), or two women requesting Him to travel a days journey to heal their brother (John 11:1-44), in each circumstance, Jesus responds in love, intention, and compassion.

For the first time in a long time, I have free time. This past week, I found myself sitting in the Starbucks I frequently spend an average of 5 hours doing homework, but this time, I ran out of homework after just an hour and a half. So there I sat. Reconsidering my purchase of a venti as I was only a quarter finished, pretending to look up emails as I thought about what I could possibly spend the next two and a half hours doing there. Then it hit me. I missed the chance of being interrupted.

For the past few weeks, people have been asking to catch-up or get to know me over coffee, a meal, or even just a call. And every time, I answered with the same, “I would love to but I will have to get back to you after I finish all of the work I need to get done.” To say the least, disruption was not my cup of tea. I had things to do and I refused to let time with people take away from my responsibilities. But isn’t it just dandy that the most important command of God includes loving people. And loving people can only be done when time is spent with people.

I had to drop this mindset that my to-do list was too jammed to squeeze in a few divine disruptions.

In the second half of Mark 5, as Jesus stepped off a boat and into a large crowd of people, He was met by a man falling at His feet. Jairus, a leader from the synagogue, let out a plea with the last bit of hope he had. His daughter was ill and near death. So in hopeful desperation, he begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his child. And without hesitation, in the very next verse, “Jesus went with him.”

Jesus was faced with the opportunity to be a blessing to another person. And in a perfect display of a kingdom mindset, He made room for that “disruption” to be seen for what God intended. A divine appointment. Far too often, we think we need a moment to be specifically set up in order to result in a miracle. But my dear friend, that could not be more wrong. God is capable of turning every concern into a beautiful example of His glory. And luckily, we humans have a LOT of concerns.

Yet this was not the end of Mark 5. As Jesus went on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter, a woman suffering from a bleeding disease for the past twelve years, saw Jesus crossing her path and extended out her hand for not His time, but the power that came with His presence alone. After the woman was immediately healed, Jesus could have continued walking as though nothing happened. After all, she did nothing more but touch His cloak. But instead, He sought her out and insisted on recognizing her and her suffering even if it was simply for a moment.

Mind you, it was not as though Jesus was on a stroll. He was in the process of helping Jairus. So Christian, how open are you to the Jairus’ and bleeding women that cross your path? Both scenario’s carried a hurt far deeper than that which was revealed in their first encounter, but Jesus chose to make room without hesitation. As you step into each day, do you wait for people to uncover their severe brokenness or do you respond in immediate and intentional compassion?

I believe we live in a world far too broken to delay our help for when it crumbles. I would argue that Jesus lived a life of no interruption. As He allowed every moment to be used to glorify His Father, these encounters were nothing less than a divine appointment. However, as we see, they only resulted in a blessing when Jesus matched His perspective with the heart of the Father.

In other words, until we let go of our own schedules and endless lists of to-do’s we will continue to miss the divine disruptions that cross our paths day after day. To love God’s people is to spend time in deep fellowship with them. This is not to give up on your responsibilities, as Jesus continued His journey of saving Jairus’ daughter after encountering the sick woman. Rather, acknowledge the flexibility of the perfectly timed day God makes new every morning.

As someone who relies desperately on to-do lists and calendars marked three months in advance, living intentionally interruptible is no easy task. But as I once heard and often say, much like many other spiritual disciplines…it may not be comfortable, but it is biblical and necessary.

To make room is to make time. And to make time is to give up the one thing humanity often tries to make the most of as it is impossible to gain any more. But like every other aspect of this world, when chosen to be placed in the hands of God instead of oneself, the blessing received becomes far greater than one could have ever imagined.

Dear friend, may you allow your days to be open to “disruptions” and allow your heart to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice that you do not let another uncovered blessing pass in the name of “busy”.