A Good Word Wednesday #64 Interrupted

A little bit of goodness in your mailbox today

Oct 04, 2023

Good Word of the Day: Interrupted

Stop. Full stop. Turn around and go the other way.

That’s what God told the prophet Jonah about his adventure to Nineveh. He needed a major course correction.

God interrupted Abraham when He told him to relocate. To go to a place He would show him.

God interrupted Mary’s life when the angel Gabriel entered her world with a life-changing message.

Jesus told the disciples when they were fishing, or collecting taxes, to stop what they were doing and follow Him. (Some of these Biblical references are cited for you below.)

Full disclosure. I had another word in mind for you today. And then the word “Interrupted” intervened. It came from Pastor Bryan’s title for a new sermon series, Divine Interruptions, at our church. And he interrupted my day with a text message last week asking me to speak in church.

So….. if you know me at all, you know I would much rather write the words and pass out copies than to speak in front of an audience. Yes, I’ve done plenty of that, especially during my She Is Safe years when I often spoke to groups of people about our global anti-trafficking/anti-abuse work. And lately, I have been recording podcasts about my upcoming book. But this was different — Sunday morning prime time speaking behind a podium to my people. Not my comfort zone. But as I prayed, God said stop what I was doing and insert this interruption into my life. (A link is provided for you below to our church service if you want to join in our worship and/or hear my three minute story.)

How has God gotten your attention and interrupted your life? I’d love to hear your interrupted stories. Please share!

Wednesday in the Word

“Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” Luke 5:10-11
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” Matthew 9:9
“The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God… Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.” Luke 1: 35, 38

Share Your Good Words

Good Questions of the Week: When was a time God interrupted your life? How did you respond? What happened in your life as a result of that interruption?

Good Unseen People

Photo: She Is Safe

The following excerpt is from a story that will be included in my upcoming book, Unseen People: Sharing Light and Life with Your Neighbors and the Nations. Click the blue link below to see the progress of the book.

But that season of my life was coming to an end, and I knew it. Each day as I sat in my office and looked over my planning calendar, I dealt with an unsettledness that I couldn’t explain. Yet, I didn’t know what was next. And then, I read a book. And I couldn’t get the stories out of my head and they found their way into my heart.
Read the whole story: A Book and a Burden

Unseen People book

Good Words I Recommend

A Good Blog: This blog was written a few years ago when God interrupted my work life. He has done it a few more times since then!… And now, He stopped all that motion for me and allowed me again to be home. And to be still. I’m grateful to have gone and grateful to be home. I know my call to go into all the world and share the love of Christ hasn’t changed… just my location. And I’m grateful my computer desk chair is in it’s full and upright position and doesn’t need a seat belt. Still Moving

A Good Book: Life Interrupted: Navigating the Unexpected, by Priscilla Shirer. You want me to do what? She tells her own life story and the ancient story of Jonah.

A Good Video: First Baptist Church Duncan worship Service Oct. 1, 2023. Please join in and worship! If you only have time to hear my testimony, fast forward to time 50:29.

Some of the links above are associate links. That means, when you click and purchase, I receive a small percentage of that sale. Those funds, as well as funds from paid subscribers, support my writing this piece each week. Thank you! I commit to forwarding a minimum of 10% to the amazing nonprofits: She Is Safe and The Red Cord. They help raise awareness of sex trafficking. They help prevent, rescue and restore victims to new life.

A Final Good Word

Maybe next week I will share with you the word I originally had in mind for you on this Wednesday. We will see. Maybe God will interrupt my thoughts again. He has a way of doing that.

I did have an interruption this week concerning my book publication process that was hard for me to swallow. Instead of changing the course of my life, the wait was stretched out longer in the same season I’m in. To see the progress of my book, click here and scroll down to the section THE UNSEEN PROCESS — How The Book, Unseen People, Is Being Born #13.

Whatever stops, twists and turns come my way, I will do this…