Every hour on my calendar was spoken for that day, leaving no available margin of time for an interruption, as I was leaving the following morning at two for an early flight to visit my military family for sixteen days.
Already sleep deprived as I had been up until midnight hours before in preparation for my trip, I almost cancelled my first appointment.
Now, scheduled in front of me is a workout with a friend, coffee with another friend, errands, packing and a few moments of quality time with my husband before I kissed him good-by for the next couple of weeks.
Calendars are as overbooked as we are in its attempt to keep us organized and color coded by (child, activities, sports, play-dates, etc.) hoping we all find a place around the dinner table a few nights in the week for whatever someone has energy to make.
But unbeknownst to us, God has scheduled a few divine appointments of His own in our over-committed schedules, only to be revealed when we are willing to recognize them in the interruptions of our day.
My morning begins with an early text message from my workout friend who expressed an interest for an early walk around the town’s scenic track at 7:00 am instead of our usual gym time at six. Loving the peace and tranquility of the morning I agreed, but would have to leave at 7:45 am for my coffee date at 8:00.
Turning the corner onto the street a few blocks from the track, something laying in the intersection caught my attention. Was it a small turtle needing help to cross the street or could it be a wallet?
Reversing course, I picked up the mysterious wallet I knew someone must be desperate for its return.
Parked at the track now, I invaded a stranger’s personal space by looking inside for a phone number or identity I could match and notify on social media, but only found an address from a student ID instead.
Texting a friend with the same last name from the wallet’s identification, I questioned if he recognized the face from the picture I sent him, but unfortunately not. Although, my friend had a great idea of me blessing the high school student with a few extra dollars in his wallet, for which I did.
Wanting to contact the mystery student before he was forced to cancel his bank and credit cards (if he hadn’t already by now), my workout friend who finally arrives has this bright idea of taking the wallet directly to the student’s house since his address was already known.
My friend and former paramedic with no fear of strangers tells me to take a seat as she revs up her engine on mission, a divine appointment from God.
Heart palpitating and white eyed as a deer in the headlights, I informed my zealous friend I’d be waiting in the car during the wallet exchange. I even suggested casting our find out the car window onto the doorstep while driving at high speed passing the house.
That would be a negative for both she retorted.
“You’re going in.”
Catching my breath and tightening my seat-belt, we drove off into the unknown.
“What in the world have I gotten myself into?”
As the GPS began navigating our travels across town, I realized our track time was now cancelled and quite possibly my coffee date.
In the interruptions, I questioned what God was doing.
Jesus lived a life full of interruptions during His three years of ministry. Never aggravated or frustrated in the re-direction, but full of love, patience and kindness to do the will of the Father.
Jesus was interrupted when a paralyzed man was lowered from the roof for healing as He preached.
(Mark 2:1-8)
As Jesus entered the town of Capernaum, He was interrupted by a centurion soldier asking to heal his servant.
(Matthew 8:5-13)
Jesus was interrupted while sleeping when his frightened disciples woke him up to calm the storm.
(Matthew 8:23-27)
Jesus was interrupted by parents presenting their children to Him as He taught.
Matthew 19:13-15
Jesus was interrupted during a sermon by a synagogue leader to restore his lifeless daughter. Stopping the sermon and along the way to the daughter’s house, Jesus was interrupted again when a woman with an issue of blood touched the hem of His garment. Jesus stopped to encourage the woman He healed and then restored the daughter back to life.
(Matthew 9:18-26)
The father of the student’s wallet greeted us at the door when we arrived; the student was attending class.
A friendly face I couldn’t believe I was hesitant to meet a few minutes ago.
Not even realizing his son had lost his wallet, yet the soft-spoken father invited my friend and me inside to hear how our journey led to the front steps of his home.
Secretly though,
God is about to unveil how the interruption of finding a lost wallet was actually a setup to a divine appointment for us all.
Not confident in speaking English, the adult son in the room translated his father’s Spanish, revealing his dad was also a Pastor serving other Pastors planting churches in neighborhoods nearby.
The honor was all ours.
Catching my unsuspecting eye, I directed my friend’s attention to the husband-and-wife pictures hanging on the wall in the other room; two proud police officer portraits from their younger life.
Almost in tears, my friend and now Chaplain for the County Police, who serves the families wearing and carrying the weight of the badge, was privileged to meet these two.
The son interpreting was also about to enter the academy.
What are the odds?
On a side note, the mother, through her son’s interpretation, recounted how she found and turned in a wallet full of money just a week ago. Now God is rewarding her honesty with the return of another wallet belonging to her son.
That morning, my friend and I prayed over this son entering the academy of the same city my friend serves as a Chaplain.
The Pastor then spoke and prayed a blessing over us.
In parting, the Pastor invited us with our spouses over for dinner to break bread and share God with them around the table; the second chapter of this divine appointment still waiting its unveiling.
In driving home, my friend and I were overwhelmed about what just happened.
So many interruptions had to be followed thru for this divine appointment to even take place…
I almost cancelled my workout appointment because of sleep deprivation, yet I persevered.
At the last minute, my friend changed the location of our workout from the gym to the track, where I discovered the wallet left in plain sight for many hours.
I could have just said nothing and mailed my discovery instead because of being so busy, but I didn’t.
In the interruption, God had a divine appointment already scheduled.
Interestingly, I arrived on time for my coffee date at 8:00 am, an interruption though to another coffee house, where God wanted me to re-acquaint myself for reasons unknown with a former co-worker from thirty years ago when I worked as a computer programmer, and another friend from a few years back with me as a paralegal.
You never know why you’re supposed to meet these people. You just trust that God wanted it to happen.
This day was about being used by God for a bigger purpose that a calendar full of appointments.
But it was only in the interruption first that God could unveil His plans for a divine appointment.
