from Ron Rose
July 21, 2008

Preparation

Your schedule this week will have interruptions, unplanned conversations, and unexpected opportunities; that’s the way God wants it. Don’t fight it; celebrate it.

I used to think that one of the hallmarks of great leaders was avoiding interruptions, but now I know that great leaders don’t avoid interruptions, they thrive on them.

You can plan all you want, setting out years of worthy goals and objectives, but in the end discover that your plans caused you to miss-out on the best of life, the interruptions that didn’t fit your plans. Let’s re-think the place and power of interruptions.

God is ready, are you?

Faith giants look for interruptions; they are players on a stage beyond their vision and they know it. They thrive on these holy moments in God’s story, these Divine Appointments.

Divine Appointments could be simple conversations, a “right place and the right time” connection, a redemptive confrontation, a word of comfort, a touch of healing, a gift of grace; it’s always humbling and spiritually empowering.

You can’t predict or prepare for these moments… they come at God’s pace and in his place. So, yield to the nudging of the Spirit and let God schedule you into His next Divine Appointments.

Inspiration

Kathy’s day was about to be interrupted. Chinese born, raised in the Philippines and California, this spunky lady came to Mongolia 15 years ago. She learned quickly about the six-month long winters, the ravages of alcoholism on families, and the rampant child abuse.

She didn't come with detailed arrangements, connections, or ministry plans developed in the states. She came to the slums of Mongolia to make a difference with the kids. She came because a soft voice within said go…go make a difference.

Kathy immersed herself in the lives of people. Before long she bought land, built a church, then a classroom wing and started a kindergarten. Today she would be feeding 130 kids on-site and teaching them about God.

Because of the extreme cold, she only got the children for six months a year. That was not good enough for Kathy.

While feeding and teaching the children she was taking the worship hall apart and trying to convert it to a gym. It was a task that was beyond her skills, but she trusted that God had what it took to make it happen.

There was always too much to do and now Kathy was going to have a guest to entertain. An American relief worker wanted to see what she was doing for the children. It was going to be a long day.

When she told him of the work she was doing on the gym and her need, her interruption surprised her. “We can make that happen,” he said. Her schedule had just been invaded by a holy moment.

“We have good workers here,” Kathy said, “but they don’t know about beams, spans, trusses, columns, and engineering, do you?”

“Kathy, that’s what I do, that’s been my business for years. That’s why God brought me here. This is a Divine Appointment.” Truth is, it was a holy moment for Kathy and for Larry Buck, that American who God put in the right place at the right time with the right skills and resources.

Motivation

Look for interruptions this week… it may be your Divine Appointment.

Yield to the nudging of the Spirit and let God work in your interruptions. Watch for out-of-the-blue conversations, chance meetings, and unexpected opportunities.

Need help remembering? Try this: Make every YIELD sign you see a reminder that a Divine Appointment could be just around the corner.