Ever have one of those days when unexpected interruptions arise?
This morning as I was turning into the church parking lot on my way to the office, I was delayed by an unexpected interruption—a family of Canadian geese crossing the driveway. There was no way I could get around them, and I obviously didn’t want to run over them. So, I patiently/impatiently waited for the entire group to cross. They didn’t move at the speed I would have preferred. I needed to get to work; I had important things to do! And here I was, stuck in the driveway waiting for these geese to cross over to what has become their feasting ground. (It took them probably five minutes to get the entire family across the road.)
As I sat there and watched them leisurely cross over (and ignore me), I made some observations that we can apply to the body of Christ.
They weren’t in a hurry. They were enjoying the scenery and the journey.
How often do we just slow down and enjoy what’s (who’s) around us and the journey, instead of rushing to the next thing, missing what God has for us in the moment? I was convicted.
They stayed together. No one ventured off on his own.
There is value to community. We need each other. For them, being together was a form of protection. They looked after one another. In the same way, we need each other in the body of Christ. We were never meant to do life with a lone ranger mentality.
The older ones looked after the young ones.
The older ones would stand in the middle of the road until every little duckling walked across. They wanted to make sure everyone was safe. If a little one started to turn around or stray off the path, the older geese would gently guide him back to the path to get him across safely.
There was no competition.
They weren’t trying to be the first one across to the other side. They weren’t competing for who had the fastest walk or the prettiest form. They weren’t even fighting over who was to be the leader. They were focused on the family, not the individual, and worked together as a family to accomplish their goal of getting the entire group across the street.
Those unexpected interruptions in our day have a purpose.
At first, I wasn’t excited that I had to sit there and wait for these Canadian geese to cross the road. I was in a hurry to get to work, and I didn’t want to stop. But God used those five minutes of interruption and delay to slow me down, to give me time to reflect on these spiritual principles. It was a good reminder that God is at work in everything He allows to cross our path (even Canadian geese).
What are some things God has shown you through life’s unexpected interruptions? What principles would you add to my list above?
