Interruptible

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

“How did Luke seem to you today?” Jon and I were driving home from an activity, and I asked the question about his friend during a lull in our conversation.

“Luke? Oh, he was fine, same as always.” Jon’s response was preoccupied as he dug through the passenger seat glove box, searching for a stray piece of gum.

“Hm. What if I told you that he has been struggling a bit lately?”

“What? Nah. He’s fine.” Jon paused from his search to look at me. “How can you tell? Do you know something?”

I did know something, and while I didn’t share the particulars, we talked about what it means to struggle silently while publicly acting like everything is fine. Jon was contemplative as we pulled into the garage, and after we walked into the house, dinner, homework, and the evening’s tasks sidetracked me from any further conversation about Luke.

But Jon took my words to heart. Several days later, he mentioned Luke, having struck up a conversation with him about something mutually interesting. And several days after that, Jon brought up Luke again, and how they’d shared chocolates Jon had been given. This pattern continued, with Luke popping up in casual conversation as Jon quietly and without fanfare simply began seeking him out, including him, intentionally demonstrating friendship.

I got a bit teary-eyed as I thanked God for Jon’s tender heart and his quiet stepping up once he realized Luke was having a tough time. But more than being grateful, I asked God—once again—to make me interruptible, giving me his eyes to see who around me might be struggling. I prayed that he would allow me an inside tip with a Holy Spirit nudge so I could be a bit gentler in my expectations of them, and a bit bolder in my reaching out. I’ve prayed this before, but as life gets busy and the day-to-day gets distracting, I have to recommit, ceding space to the Holy Spirit and remembering to discern between tasks with eternal value and tasks that feel momentarily important but will fade away into nothingness.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Who has encouraged you in a difficult season? Make a list of what they did well, and ask God whom you might encourage similarly.