The Gift Hidden in an Interruption

Photo image courtesy of Pixabay

"A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps."
– Proverbs 16:9 (HCSB)

This particular Christmas was no different than others. My list was long and today the cookie exchange cookies needed to be baked, and my girls would be home from school in two hours; I’d better hurry.

It would take twice as long if they were home “helping.” Plus, dinner still needed to be made, and after dinner, I had to run to the store for a few gifts.

I had finally gotten into a good rhythm when my phone chirped. It was a text. My elderly neighbor needed a cup of milk.

I sighed. “It’s just a quick interruption.” I placed a cup of milk into a small plastic container, set it near the door, and mentally prepared for a two-second handoff.

Just as I finished the cookie dough, I heard a knock. Milk in hand, I opened it, ready to keep this short. But the moment I saw her face, I stopped. She looked so sad. This was her second Christmas as a widow.

I stood there, cookies to be baked, a to-do list still miles long, and a hurting woman on my back porch. A verse drifted across my heart: "Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, HCSB)

One day this could be me. Lonely. Missing someone I loved. Needing more than a cup of milk.

“Would you like to come in for some tea?” I asked.

Her eyes brightened. “Yes,” she whispered.

I placed the milk and cookie dough in the refrigerator, grabbed two mugs, and we sat at the kitchen table. We shared silly Christmas stories, reminisced about our families, and laughed until the heaviness lifted from her.

“Thank you, I really needed that,” she said as she walked down the steps with her container of milk, lighter and happier.

I glanced at the clock. The girls would be home in ten minutes. Surprisingly, I was at peace.

When my 2nd and 4th-graders burst through the door, I asked if they wanted to help make cookies. They erupted in cheers. “Can we eat some cookie dough?” Of course, they could.

Yes, it took twice as long. Yes, dinner turned into pizza. And yes, the gifts were bought a few days later. But my heart was full because God had placed a gift into my schedule, and I hadn’t missed Him.

Titus 3:1 tells us, "Be ready for every good work." That godly interruption was a divine appointment. A reminder that His ways truly are better than mine. And now, I find myself looking forward to the next time He gently rearranges my plans… because His timing is always perfect. “Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that, "A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.” I’m so glad He does.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Who around me might be silently carrying a burden this season?

2. Do I truly trust God’s timing, even when it disrupts my schedule?

3. What step can I take this week to be “ready for every good work”?